Akatsuki's New Member
by bluewolf963
Summary: Akatsuki gains a new member, and the organization will never be the same. The new member possesses a secret that could shake the foundations of the organization itself. Has some Naruto bashing. Rated for language and adult themes. Possible lemons later.
1. Enter the New Guy

_A/N: My first attempt at a humor fic. It's a little serious in the beginning, but then it becomes about the humor, as in my attempts at it_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or the Akatsuki; however, Ookami is my character_

**Chapter 1: Enter the New Guy**

It was a bright sunny day, or at least it was, until the man walking along got near the border of Amegakure. The man had long, dark hair, and was wearing a cloak, hiding most of his body from sight. He had on a bamboo hat, keeping most of his face in shade.

"_Hmm... well, if I just go up, and ask to see him, I doubt I'd get very far. I'll just have to sneak in," _the man thought to himself. The man did something to make a small bird appear, then did something else to make it large, sat atop it, and flew over the village, up in the clouds, where he could not be easily seen.

In Akatsuki's main HQ, Pein was about to eat his lunch when he sensed something.

"_Hmm... it felt like something in the sky. Felt like one of Deidara's birds... damn it, I told him to make sure he told me before taking it upon himself to leave!_" Pein thought to himself, until a certain blond walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, Leader-sama, looks like you beat me in here, un," replied the missing Iwa-nin.

"Wait, if you're here... Deidara, forget lunch, someone has infiltrated the village, and they're on their way here. Get everyone ready, while I prepare our defenses," spoke Pein.

Deidara alerted the rest of the Akatsuki, while Pein went to his secret chamber to gather his other bodies, not knowing if he would need them or not.

"Well, the fuck must have balls of steel to come here!" shouted Hidan.

"Didn't think anyone would bother coming here," muttered Kakuzu.

"Tobi wants to help! What can Tobi do?"

"Shut the fuck up! That's what you can do!" shouted Hidan.

"Think it might be that foolish brother of yours?" Kisame asked of Itachi.

"If it is, he's taken his foolishness to a new level," replied Itachi.

"He, this is like ordering take out!" spoke Zetsu.

"This better be over with quick..." muttered Sasori.

"I want to have some fun with this one, un," replied Deidara.

"I just scouted the area; it's only one person, on a bird that resembles on of your creations, Deidara," spoke Konan.

"No kidding? Now I really want to have fun with this one, un," replied Deidara.

"Alright, I'll take the lead on this one. I haven't had a good fight in a while," spoke Pein (Yahiko's body). The other Peins smiled.

The stranger arrived on the balcony of the hideout. He took a look around.

"_Hmm... that was a little too easy. I would think they would have made this a little more difficult,"_ thought the man, as he tapped on the door, then ran aside, expecting some kind of attack. One never came, though.

"Gah, don't tell me they're out on some kind mission. That would really ruin my day. Bad enough it's pouring rain out here," muttered the man, as he went to the door to see if it was open. It was, and he entered. He took a look around.

"Anybody home? I have something of interest for you," spoke the man. The door suddenly closed and locked itself.

"You have two seconds before we kill you where you stand!" came a voice.

"Very well," spoke the man, as he held his left hand up, a ring bearing 空 _(void)_ on his pinky finger.

"Where did you get that from?" asked the voice.

"I stole it from a snake. Now that I have your attention, I'd like to request to join your organization, Akatsuki," spoke the man.

"You would, would you? Why shouldn't we just kill you, and take our ring back?" asked the voice.

"What good is a ring with no one to wear it?" asked the man. He was answered with a kunai thrown at him. The kunai went through his left eye, and out the back of his head. The man stood stunned, and fell to the ground, turning into clay.

"A nendo bunshin, un?" spoke another voice.

"You know, those things are a pain to make," spoke the man, as he walked up, looking down. "Straight through the eye? You sure know how to greet a person. You have any idea how much trouble I went through finding this damn place? Geez, give me a break, eh?" spoke the man.

"No more bunshin," spoke the first voice.

"No more shadows. You guys can come out. It's not like I could actually beat all of you. Hell, I'd have a hard time with more than one of you," spoke the man. The lights came on, and the Akatsuki appeared before the man.

"What is your name?" asked Pein.

"Ookami. I came from Kirigakure," replied the man. He removed his hat, revealing a scratched Kiri hitai-ate.

"From Kiri, eh?" asked Kisame.

"It blows, there, you know. Everyone calls me a freak, the Mizukage is a jerk, and the new Seven Swordsmen are a bunch of pansies I could kill with my hands tied behind my back," replied Ookami.

"Funny, you don't look like a freak to me," replied Kisame.

"Oh?" said Ookami, as he raised his hands. They bore mouths on them, and there were a series of holes around his wrist.

"What are you, Deidara's lost brother?" asked Kakuzu.

"Hmm... I dunno. My family was from Iwagakure, but for reasons unknown to me, they left for Kiri. My parent's were lost during the attempted coup d'état on the Mizukage. I never could ask them why, though I think it might have something to do with the actions of a certain terrorist," replied Ookami.

"What's that supposed to mean, un?" asked Deidara.

"Everyone with your talents is feared in Iwa. Not that we're welcomed anywhere else. Once my parents bit the dust, being killed by some kiri-nin who took out their frustrations on us, I was tortured and ridiculed by the villagers. Once I got the chance, I left the dump behind. I'd have blown it to bits, if I could have," explained Ookami.

"How did you get the ring? Did you kill Orochimaru?" asked Sasori.

"Nah, I didn't kill the snake. Oh, how I wish I did. Hmm... I'll just give you my history. You can use that to judge if I'm worthy of joining, fair enough?" asked Ookami.

"Tobi likes stories!"

"Well... good for Tobi. Anyway, after I left the village, I trained myself in the explosive arts. I heard a lot about Deidara, and his art. That's how I learned what these were mouths were for. I developed my clay, and practiced left and right. I practiced infusing my chakra with different substances. I had great success with water, works like a flame thrower. Ah, what a fun day that was. Some kids were making a snow man. They thought they would make fun of me. I thought I could make explosive snow balls, right? I know, dumb, but I figured it was worth a shot. Naturally, the snow melted, and after I infused my chakra, I ended up spewing out fire. I was surprised, but I had fun melting that snowman to the ground! He he. Anyways, I heard about Deidara joining the Akatsuki. After hearing of his exploits, I desperately wanted to join. I figured if I was lucky enough, I might even be able to give Kiri a black eye. Then I learned of a member who left, Orochimaru. I tried to approach him, asking what he knew. I almost got my ass killed right then and there. I decided to keep tabs on him, as he was my only link. That led me to Konoha, and their chunin exams from a few years ago. That was where I learned something about a potential flaw in our art. There was this guy who could shoot air out of his palms. The holes were blocked during a fight, and his arms exploded. I was shocked at the sight. I happened to pick up one of his hands, and noticed the pipes running through them. It gave me an idea. I put tubes in my wrist, hooked up to my hands. If they get plugged up, somehow, there is a release for the artful flames. I can even do this intentionally, leading to my Kaken no Jutsu _(Fire Fist Technique)_. I continued to pursue the snake. I moved to strike after his failed invasion of Konoha, but his body guards caught me. Deciding not to give up, I approached again. Conveniently enough, his body guards were gone. I made my way into his base. I got past his assistant, and entered one of his labs. That's where I found a hand, and this ring, here, attached to it. I meant to kill Orochimaru, but then I heard his assistant. Apparently, the snake switched into a new body, and he wanted to try it out with... grr... this sends shivers up my spine every time I think about it... he wanted to play naked twister with his assistant. I thought I misheard, and moved to strike... you can't get those mental images out once they get in. I ran out of their base, and screamed obscenities once I was clear. I found some of your ame nin later on, muttering about men in black cloaks with red clouds. I remember being told that was your outfit, and gathered information out of them. They told me I would find "god" in the highest point of the village. That led me here, and well, here I am," explained Ookami.

"Did those tubes hurt?" asked Deidara.

"It hurt like Hell. I know a little medical jutsu, and was able insert the tubes myself, but it hurt like a son of a bitch," replied Ookami.

"Well, I'm not sure I'm convinced about your story, but tell me, what do you have to offer to us?" asked Pein.

"Well, I have my exploding art, my Kaken based taijutsu, some kenjutsu, and the wolf summoning contract," explained Ookami.

"Hmm... sounds like a competent Deidara, though he didn't kill the snake," muttered Sasori.

"If you saw what I saw, wouldn't have killed him either!" shouted Ookami.

"Fine, let me discuss this with my partner," spoke Pein, as he and Konan walked away.

"Can Tobi join! I want to talk about him joining!"

"No, Tobi," replied Pein.

"But I want to! I want to, I want to, I want to! Tobi is a good boy! I want to talk about him..."

"Enough! Fine, just keep your trap shut," spoke Pein. Tobi joined Pein and Konan.

"Who let him join?" asked Ookami.

"I swear to Jashin, he was fucking high when he let him join," replied Hidan.

"At least we can have a few minutes of peace and quiet. Let him enjoy his little 'mistake,'" replied Kakuzu, while smiling behind his mask.

In Pein's office, the trio were discussing Ookami.

"Did you have to be like that?" asked Pein.

"I had to be convincing. I'm not ready for them to know the truth yet," spoke Tobi, as Madara.

"Honestly, how can you stand yourself?" asked Konan.

"As long as I've lived, I've learned to let loose. Besides, life's more entertaining that way. Now, about this Ookami. He did get our ring back. I can tell it's ours from the chakra signature. A summoning contract could be useful. If we find unsealed bijuu, he could use those summons against them," replied Madara.

"So, you want him in?" asked Pein.

"Hai, I want him in. Put him with Deidara. I think they're explosive talents would blend well. I'll work with Sasori," replied Madara.

"That's cruelty to puppets, but sure. I'll do that. Just try not to annoy Sasori too much. He bitches enough as is... impatient little bastard..." muttered Pein.

After several minutes, the three emerged.

"You're in," replied Pein.

"Tobi convinced him! Tobi's a good boy!"

"Uh... thanks Tobi?" replied Ookami.

"Ookami, I'm going to pair you with Deidara. As for Sasori, you'll now be working with Tobi," replied Pein.

"Hell no! Are you fucking kidding me! I'm rather hop in an incinerator than work with him!" shouted Sasori.

"This isn't up for debate!" shouted Pein. Sasori went silent. "Ookami, you can have Orochimaru's old room. Here's your cloak. Now, go get settled in. Ookami headed off to find Oro's old room.

"Alright, you guys know the drill, so what's it going to be?" asked Pein.

"Tobi says we put a bucket of water over his door!"

"Don't you have a better idea than that? I say I use one of my puppets to scare him," spoke Sasori.

"How about I eat him? I promise to spit him back out," spoke Zetsu's white side.

"I hate spitting them up after swallowing them," spoke Zetsu's black side.

"I say we cut his fucking side open," spoke Hidan, "Kakuzu can always stitch him up.

"How about we steal all his money?" asked Kakuzu.

"What fuck is it with you and fucking money!? Can't you think of anything else, you blasphemous old fuck?" asked Hidan. Kakuzu flicked off Hidan.

"How about I jump him when he comes out?" spoke Kisame.

"I could..."

"No Itachi, no genjutsu! I'm not cleaning vomit off the floor again!" shouted Sasori.

"I have one, here's what we're going to do..." spoke Pein.

Ookami found Orochimaru's old room. He was scared at the sight. There were several dolls on a shelf, all naked, and pictures of young children. There was a pile of snake skin in a corner. Ookami put all the contents in a heap, let his hands chug some water, and burned everything. He pulled out a large scroll, and unsealed his belongings. Some clothes, his mass of weapons, three large buckets of clay, his Icha Icha collection, and a picture of a certain kunoichi that caught his eye on a mission.

"Ah yes, and then there's this. I hope he'll appreciate it," spoke Ookami to himself. He walked off to the living area.

"Oh, hi Leader-sama, I don't suppose you could introduce everyone to me? I only know Deidara and Kisame," asked Ookami.

"Sure, everyone assemble in the living area!" shouted Pein. Everyone gathered.

"Okay, that's Zetsu, our spy and body disposal specialist. That's Hidan, a devout Jashinist, and his partner Kakuzu. Kakuzu is the oldest person on our team, and is Akatsuki's treasurer. He has a lot of combat experience, so don't be afraid to ask him for tips, just don't piss him off, or you'll get your head cut off. Next to him is Deidara, who you know. Next to him is Sasori, known as Akasuna no Sasori in Sunagakure; he's a Kugutsu no Jutsu expert. He himself is a puppet, as well. Then there is Tobi who... helps... sometimes... Then there's Kisame, who you know already. His partner is Uchiha Itachi; he killed off the Uchiha clan, except his brother, and is a genjutsu master. Last, but not least is my lovely partner, Konan. She uses Origami no Jutsu, and if you try to make a move on her, you will die. Whatever is left of you will have to deal with me. There is myself, of course. My techniques are none of your business, and I am the current head of the organization, founded by Uchiha Madara after his fight with the Shodaime Hokage at the Valley of the End in Hi no Kuni," explained Pein.

"Ah, okay, arigatou!" Spoke Ookami, as he took a seat. Everyone else walked off.

"So, Leader-sama, is Konan your girl, or something?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, what about it?" asked Pein.

"Just curious. Relax, I'm not going to hit on her or anything. Last thing I want to do is piss off anyone. So, uh... where's the kitchen?" asked Ookami.

"Over there, food's in the fridge. Take it easy, because it has to last for another couple of days," spoke Pein, as he began reading a book.

Ookami walked into the kitchen, and saw Pein in there as well.

"Uh... Leader-sama? Weren't you... never mind," muttered Ookami, as he searched the fridge. "Hey, how old is this piece of meat?"

"Leftovers from last night, help yourself," replied Pein, while fixing himself a ham and cheese sandwich. Ookami heated it up, and left to eat in is room. Pein was sitting the table eating his lunch. On his way, Ookami bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry, wasn't looking... Leader-sama? What happened to your sandwich?" asked Ookami.

"What sandwich? And what where you're walking!" shouted Pein. Ookami went into his room, and noticed someone in there.

"Burnt his old stuff, eh?" asked the person in his room. Ookami recognized him.

"Leader-sama... uh... you... hallway... now room... kitchen..." muttered Ookami.

"Can't complete sentences? Geez, maybe I should just take that ring back, and let you go," spoke Pein.

"No, I'm fine... perfectly fine. Just need to go use the bathroom..." spoke Ookami.

Ookami went into his bathroom, glad his room had it's own. He quickly noted the room was occupied.

"Knock first!"

"Sorry, Leader-sama!" shouted Ookami, as he walked out.

"Wait a second, weren't you in there?" asked Ookami.

"Are you okay?" asked Pein. Ookami opened the door to his bathroom again.

"What the fuck!? You like seeing men take a shit!? You sick fuck, close the fucking door!" shouted Pein. Ookami closed the door, and looked at the Pein in his room. He ran out of the room, ran past another Pein, and saw another on the couch, and another in the kitchen. Deidara was making himself lunch in the kitchen.

"Hey, Deidara, I have something for you!" shouted Ookami, "but first, tell me, where is Leader-sama?"

"Uh, he's right there, having his sandwich, un," replied Deidara.

"Okay. The item is in my room. Let's go and grab it," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah, sure," replied Deidara.

As the two walked along, Ookami saw the Pein who was on the couch.

"Um... who's that?" asked Ookami.

"Leader-sama. I told you he was on the couch reading, un," replied Deidara.

"Right..." muttered Ookami. They got to his room. That Pein was still there.

"Deidara... wasn't he on the couch?" asked Ookami.

"Couch? I told you he was looking over your room to see what you did with Oro's stuff. He placed a bet with Kakuzu on what you did with it, un. Don't you listen?" asked Deidara.

Ookami stood still, thought his situation over. Something snapped in his head, and he screamed loudly, before slamming his head against the wall. He passed out after giving himself a concussion.

"Ha, told you it wouldn't take that long! You owe me fifty bucks!" shouted Kakuzu, as if instinctively summoned upon hearing the thud from Ookami's body hitting the ground.

"Damn, alright, here," replied Deidara.

After a couple hours, Ookami woke up. He had a bad headache, but was fine otherwise.

"Uh... I need a beer..." muttered Ookami, as he walked towards the kitchen. The Six Paths of Pein were waiting for him.

"Oh Kami!" shouted Ookami, as he passed out again.

"What did I say? That's another twenty, Deidara!" shouted Kakuzu.

"Damn, I thought a fellow explosive artist couldn't be rattled so easily..." muttered Deidara, as he handed the money over. Tobi had some smelling salt he used to revive Ookami.

"Tobi is a good boy! He woke you up!"

"Uh, thanks Tobi... okay... there's six of him... please tell me I'm still dreaming," spoke Ookami.

"You're not," spoke Pein (Yahiko's body), "I have six bodies. That's my technique. Welcome to the Akatsuki."

"Oh, okay... anything else I should know?" asked Ookami.

"No," spoke Itachi.

"You know enough," replied another Itachi. Ookami fainted again.

"Told you it would work," Itachi said, as he dispelled his clone, "that's thirty, Kakuzu."

"Fuck..." muttered Kakuzu, as he handed the money over.

"And I thought you didn't have a sense of humor, un," spoke Deidara. Itachi said nothing as he sat in front of the TV, searching for something to watch.

_A/N: Ookami's name isn't accidental, either. Ookami, written as __狼__, means wolf. And he has the wolf summoning contract. Makes sense, right? Hope you all enjoy this story. This is my secondary fic; Warriors of the Leaf takes priority over this one. If people like this one, I'll be more motivated to continue it. Read and Review! Or I'll sic my wolves on you!_


	2. The Gift That Keeps On Giving

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the Akatsuki, but Ookami is my character_

**Chapter 2: The Gift That Keeps on Giving**

"Uh... I have such a headache..." muttered Ookami, as he looked up at the ceiling. "Damn Itachi, making me think there were two of him. One is more than enough! I swear, I will get him back."

There was a knock at Ookami's door.

"Enter!" shouted Ookami. Deidara walked into the room.

"I remember you said you have something for me, un," spoke Deidara.

"Oh, yeah, that's right. I wanted to give you..." spoke Ookami, as he went digging through his things, "...this!"

"A stick, un?"

"Actually, it's a special katana, made from the wood of chakra fed trees. It takes a form depending on the nature of the chakra of the user. I figured you could use something like this, since you're not that skilled in close range combat. I know, because we had similar fighting styles." Ookami handed the item over the Deidara, and pulled out his own.

"Now, because of our art, we have a gift for fire and earth natured chakra. So, if we channel our chakra into these, they will become harder then steel, and glow with our artistic fire. See?" Ookami channeled his chakra into the katana. It glowed with a bright fire. Deidara tried to channel his chakra into his katana, gaining the same results.

"Not bad, but it's not art, un."

"Art is what you make it. Watch." Ookami swung his katana around. Fire leaped off his sword, leaving figures behind. It quickly dissipated. "Now, imagine that being etched into your foes! A memory of a fleeting moment! The image of fire burned into flesh. It's the best of both worlds!"

"Maybe, but I like my art as it, un."

"Fine. Remember this, though, should you choose to use it. Always make sure you have your chakra running through it. If not, it will be as brittle as wood, and break as such. These are rather hard to come by, so please be careful."

"Fine, I'll be careful, un."

Deidara walked out of the room.

"He, I could see the fire in his eyes. He liked it more than he's letting on." Ookami had a smile on his face at the thought. He decided he should grab himself some breakfast, before his new "friends" tried to pull any more pranks on him.

Deidara couldn't wait to show off his new "toy." He knew who was first on the list. Itachi.

"Hey, Itachi, un!" shouted Deidara. He caught Itachi in his normal morning routine, clicking through the news channels, seeing if there was anything going on in the world that he cared about.

"Foolish little brother, running around with Orochimaru. You lack... common sense," muttered Itachi.

"Itachi, un!" shouted Deidara again.

"What is it?" asked Itachi. Deidara hit Itachi on the head with his new sword, without channeling chakra through it. It left a nice bump on Itachi's head. "Have any last requests?"

"Yeah, try to catch me, un!" shouted Deidara as he ran off. Itachi pulled out his katana, and chased after Deidara. The blond nin ended up running into Hidan in the hallway.

"Hey, watch where the fuck you're going!" shouted Hidan. After seeing Itachi run after Deidara, the Jashin worshiper had only one thought on his mind, _"What did he do _this_ time?"_

Deidara was cornered at the end of the hall. At that point, he started channeling chakra in his sword, and held it behind his back.

"Why?" asked the Uchiha, remaining calm.

"Wanted to, un," replied Deidara.

Itachi took a swing at Deidara, only to have his katana cut in half.

"I guess he was write about this thing, un."

"Who was?"

"Oh, Ookami gave this to me. He said it would help me with short range combat, un."

Itachi said nothing, as he gave Deidara the chance to live a losing duel with Itachi over and over again for three days. Itachi went back to his TV viewing, while Hidan looked over Deidara.

"What he do to you this time?" asked Hidan.

"I... lost... swords... hurt... un..." stuttered Deidara.

"Hmm... Hey, Itachi! Can I live whatever fantasy you made Deidara go through?" asked Hidan. Itachi said nothing as he went back to watching TV.

Deidara recovered a few hours later. Ookami looked at him.

"So, what did we learn today?" asked Ookami.

"Why we don't randomly pummel Uchihas with wooden katanas, un," replied Deidara.

"Tobi wants to see Deidara's senpai's new toy!"

Deidara preceded to smack him on the head, with his sword ablaze. Tobi's hair caught on fire.

"Ah! Tobi's on fire! Tobi's on fire!" Tobi ran into the kitchen, and stuck his head in the sink. Everyone, except Itachi, smiled at the sight. Ookami walked over the Deidara.

"So, who's next," Ookami whispered into Deidara's ear. An evil smile crossed Deidara's face.

Sasori was in his workshop, polishing one of his puppets.

"Not bad, not the best, but not the worst," Sasori said to himself, as he finished. He heard a knock at the door.

"Come in Deidara!" Sasori had learned to recognize Deidara's knock, after having been partnered with him in the past.

"Hey, Sasori no danna, un! Could you polish this for me?"

"What is it?"

"A wooden katana Ookami gave me as a present, un."

"Oh? Let me see..." As Sasori reached for it, Deidara sent his chakra through the sword, burning Sasori's hand. Sasori stared at Deidara.

"What do you think, un?"

"About time you learned to appreciate a close range weapon," Sasori said.

"Arigatou, Sasori no danna, un!" shouted Deidara, not realizing Sasori was being rather "nice" considering what had just happened. The puppet that was on Sasori's table was now behind Deidara. Before Deidara could react, Sasori's puppet hit him on the head, knocking him out. Sasori took him, and threw him out. Ookami walked over, and picked him up. When Deidara awoke, Ookami had only one question to ask.

"Was it worth it?"

"Hai, un!"

"Great, because that lump on the back of your head isn't going anywhere for a couple of days."

"Yeah, that happens whenever I pull a prank on Sasori no Danna, un. Always with those puppets..."

"Deidara, Ookami, you are needed in the mission room," came a voice over the loud speaker.

"We have a com system?" asked Ookami.

"That's nothing, wait until he teaches you Asutoraru Tousha no Jutsu _(Astral Projection Technique)_. It's a real mind trip, un!" shouted Deidara.

The two made their way to the mission room, to be greeted by Pein.

"Gentlemen, I have a mission for you. It's a recon mission. We have information indicating the Ichibi to be located in Sunagakure. I want you two to look into this. Be careful not to draw attention. You will go disguised on this mission. Do not draw attention to yourselves... Deidara. The only reason I'm having you do this mission is because the Ichibi is Deidara's target, and Zetsu is looking into a lead about the Yonbi. You have your mission. Oh, and Ookami, take this scroll, and learn the jutsu as soon as possible. Dismissed!" shouted Pein.

"So, our first mission together. This should be fun. What's in this scroll... Asutoraru Tousha no Jutsu... sweet!" shouted Ookami.

"Yeah, he gives that to everyone on their first mission, un. You never know when he'll need us," replied Deidara.

The two made their way for Sunagakure. Deidara and Ookami chose to go as Kiri Jonin. They caught wind of a possible treaty between the two villages. The two spent their time traveling learning new jutsu. Deidara was learning to use his new katana, while Ookami was working on learning Asutoraru Tousha. The group made it to the gates of Suna, and were immediately questioned by the guards.

"State you business here!" shouted one of the guards.

"We are here for treaty negotiations with the Kazekage, un," spoke Deidara.

"Treaty negotiations? Your ambassador is already here, is he not?" asked the second guard.

"We were asked to join him," spoke Ookami, handing over falsified orders.

"Hmm... very well, we shall escort you to the Kazekage's office," spoke the first guard.

The two disguised Akatsuki members were taken through the village, and over to the Kazekage's tower. They explained their reason for the visit to their escorts, and were taken to the Kazekage's office. Gaara was busy with the ambassador and his aid.

"Kazekage-sama, sorry to interrupt; we have two more Kiri nin here for the treaty negotiations," spoke a Suna ANBU.

"Hmm? I was not told about this," muttered the Kiri ambassador.

"Send them in," spoke Gaara.

Ookami and Deidara took seats next to the Kiri ambassador. Ookami was startled at who they chose.

"_Shit! Mizuarai! If he recognizes me, we're fucked!"_ Ookami thought to himself.

The negotiations continued on as if Ookami and Deidara had never showed themselves. They got a lucky break; Gaara revealed that he was the Ichibi Jinchuuriki, and explained the control he had to gain over the beast in order to achieve his rank as Kage. When Deidara and Ookami were given their rooms, Ookami decided to try the Asutoraru Tousha to inform the leader of their discovery.

"Huh, Deidara was right, this really is a mind trip," spoke Ookami, his projection standing before Pein.

"I hope you didn't bother me just for that," muttered Pein.

"No, Leader-sama. We have found that the Ichibi Jinchuuriki is the Kazekage. We can capture him at any time," explained Ookami.

"Ah, I see. Very well. We will leave him alone for now. I need information right now. I'm still working on the preparations for the extraction," replied Pein.

"Extraction, Leader-sama?" asked Ookami.

"Right, you don't know. We plan to capture all the jinchuuriki, and extract their bijuu. Deidara's target is the Ichibi. Your target is the Sanbi. Once we have information on your bijuu, we'll send you two on another recon mission. For now, just make your way back here," spoke Pein.

"Just one thing, Leader-sama. We will have to remain here for another couple days, as part of our cover. We will make way for Ame as soon as the negotiations are over," explained Ookami.

"Very well. Get back here when you can, and make sure not to blow your cover," spoke Pein.

Ookami closed his eyes, and opened them to find himself back in his room in Suna. He went to find Deidara's room. He knocked on his door, hearing tossing and turning.

"Who is it, un?"

"It's Shou," spoke Ookami.

"Come in," replied a tired Deidara.

"I've just spoke to Leader-sama. We are to return once negotiations are over," explained Ookami.

"Very well, Oo..."

"Shou," replied Ookami.

"You can't be serious, un. There's no one around to hear your..."

"Just use Shou. I don't want to risk it."

"Fine, now let me get back to sleep, un," spoke Deidara, as he rolled around, and fell back asleep.

The rest of their time in Suna went peacefully. Deidara tried his best to stay awake and pretend to be interested in the negotiations. Ookami made sure not to draw unnecessary attention to himself. The last thing he needed was for someone from Kiri to recognize him. At the end of the negotiations, the group made their way for Kiri. Ookami and Deidara were thinking up ways to break away from the group, without ending up in a fight.

"Mizuarai-sama, I think we should scout ahead, and look for any enemy-nin. I was told there were Iwa-nin out here. That's why we were sent," spoke Ookami.

"Very well, check ahead, and report back. We'll wait for you Shou, Deidara," replied Mizuarai. _"Shou... Ookami, you could do better. I'll give you credit though, you are right about those Iwa-nin. I'm here with one already."_

Deidara and Ookami made a break for Amegakure, dropping their disguises, and changing into their Akatsuki cloaks.

"I hate dressing like that! Damn, never imagined I would be wearing that outfit again," spoke Ookami.

"Well, it's over now,un," spoke Deidara.

"Stop right there!" shouted a voice. Before Ookami and Deidara knew it, they were surrounded.

"Ookami! Deidara! You are under arrest, under order of council member Mizuarai!" shouted a Kiri nin.

"Damn it all. Things were going so well. I guess we have to fight. He, I suppose this is our reward for having to sit through those boring ass meetings!" shouted Ookami, pulling out a bag of clay. Deidara followed suit. Both Akatsuki were smiling brightly. The two starting taking in clay through their hands.

"This is the advantage, Deidara. While we wait for our clay to be ready, we can use these," spoke Ookami, as he pulled out his katana.

"How long does yours take?" spoke Deidara, as he pulled out his clay, and threw a couple of birds into the crowd of Kiri nin.

"Katsu!" shouted Deidara, as several nin were blown away. One of them sneaked up behind Deidara. Ookami cut the nin down with his katana.

"You should really keep an eye out for nin like that. You know, the ones that like to stab you in the back?" spoke Ookami. Ookami's clay was ready. "Besides, it's not that mine takes so long, really. I just prefer larger explosions, like so." Ookami made a couple of clay wolves, and sent them running after another group of Kiri nin.

"Katsu!" shouted Ookami, as the group was blown away. Deidara decided to use his katana on another group.

"You know, this is kind of fun, un!" shouted Deidara, as he cut through a couple Kiri-nin.

"That's nothing, watch this!" shouted Ookami, as the flames around his katana grew brighter. "Kenjutsu: Kaha! _(Sword Art: Fire Wave)_." Ookami swung his katana, causing a wave of fire to fly from it, and kill the nearby Kiri-nin.

"I have to remember to ask you how to do that, un," spoke Deidara, as he sent a round of bird shaped bombs towards another group of Kiri nin.

"See, that katana is the gift that keeps on giving!" shouted Ookami, as he took in more clay.

"I still prefer my art, un!" shouted Deidara, after toasting some more Kiri nin. "How do you think they found out about us, un?"

"I guess Mizuarai figured out who I was. Tricky bastard, I think I'll have to hunt him down and kill him when we're done with these rejects!" shouted Ookami. "Katsu!" More Kiri-nin were killed. Deidara and Ookami found themselves back to back. Ookami pulled out a bottle of water.

"Drink up!" shouted Ookami.

"I'm not thirsty, un," replied Deidara.

"No, baka, through your hands!" shouted Ookami, as he filled up each hand with water. Deidara followed suit.

"Katon: Kabakufuu no Jutsu! _(Fire Release: Fire Blast Technique)_" shouted Ookami. Streams of fire spewed out of his hand. Deidara followed suit. After that, very few Kiri nin were left behind.

"Aww, where are you going, un?" asked Deidara.

"Wait, I have an idea!" shouted Ookami, with an evil grin.

The five remaining Kiri nin approached Mizuarai. They had looks of fear on their face.

"So, what of it?" asked Mizuarai.

"We tried, Mizuarai-sama, but they were just too strong. Only four of us survived," spoke one Kiri nin.

"I see five of you. Forgot how to count?" asked Mizuarai.

"What? Wait, who are you?" asked one of the other Kiri nin to the fifth Kiri nin.

"Wait, that's Shou... or should I say... Ookami," spoke Mizuarai.

"Aw darn, you got me," spoke Ookami, dispelling the disguise, and snapping the necks of two of the other Kiri-nin. Ookami took a couple moments to kill the other two, leaving Mizuarai by himself.

"Well, Ookami. You always wanted to fight me for having your family killed. Guess nows your chance," spoke Mizuarai. Ookami smiled, and attempted to give Mizuarai a run through with his katana, only to have Mizuarai break his arm.

"You're just as weak as before, Ookami. Have any last words?" asked Mizuarai.

"Well..." Ookami was interrupted with a sword piercing him.

"Too late," spoke Mizuarai, as Ookami appeared to die. Then his other arm tightly gripped Mizuarai's arm.

"I do have something to say fucker! My art is... a blast!!" shouted Ookami, before he exploded. The real Ookami was safe, having used a Jiga-kujo Bunshin. He smiled as he watched the explosion.

"I've waited for so long to kill him! Ha! Now who's Mr. High and Mighty! Mother fucker!" shouted Ookami.

"That was impressive, un," muttered Deidara, noting his partner was near foaming at the mouth over finally getting his revenge.

"We've succeeded. I couldn't have done it without you Deidara! Arigatou!" shouted Ookami. The two clasped their hands together and smiled.

"From now on, we're the Blast Brothers, un!" shouted Deidara. Both Deidara and Ookami shared a smile. A couple of moments later, they had horrified looks on their faces.

"Deidara... is that your tongue..."

"Going into..."

The two quickly pulled their hands away, saying nothing at all to each other for the rest of day. The next day, Ookami decided to teach Deidara the Kaha Jutsu.

"Okay, so what you do is you channel an extra amount of chakra into the katana, kind of charging it up... say, like, oh, putting extra chakra into your clay," explained Ookami.

"Yeah, okay, un," replied Deidara.

"Then you just release it as you swing your katana. It's short range, but it will give you some breathing room quick if you're in a tight situation. Care to give it a shot?" asked Ookami.

"Sure, un." Deidara pulled out his katana, and poured his chakra into the blade.

"Kenjutsu: Kaha!" shouted Deidara, as a wave of fire was released. Unfortunately, he didn't think about where the last part of swing would aim his attack. Ookami stood still, his face painted charcoal black from the misfire of Deidara's attack.

" _cough cough _Not bad... next time _cough_ aim..." muttered Ookami.

The two continued on their way to Amegakure. Pein was not amused upon hearing of the scuffle that took place.

"Way to go, now both Kiri and Suna are aware of the Akatsuki! So, what do you have to say for yourselves?" asked Pein.

"I got revenge; I have no regrets," replied Ookami.

"Oh, revenge? Well, that's different. A little revenge is okay, even if it blows your cover on a recon mission," Pein said, acting sickeningly kind.

"Really?" asked Ookami.

"No!" shouted Pein, as he launched Ookami out the window. He smiled upon hearing Ookami slam into a tower. "Go get him, Deidara. You are dismissed."

Deidara made one of his birds, and scooped up Ookami.

"Uh... that hurt..." muttered Ookami.

"He must like you, he didn't rip your arm off like he would normally do when someone gives him a smart response like that," replied Deidara.

"Are you serious?" asked Ookami. Deidara pulled up his sleeve.

"That's from the last time I blew a recon mission. The scars still need a little more time. Thank Kami for Kakuzu's medical skills," replied Deidara.

"Right, leader of an evil organization... why am I surprised..." muttered Ookami.

Deidara and Ookami returned to the base. Ookami grabbed some ice for his horrendous headache, and some beer, and took a seat next to Kakuzu, who was snoring away like the old man he was.

"Ah... home, sweet home..." mumbled Ookami, as he downed his beer.

_A/N: Time for another edition of Name Corner! Okay, that was cheesy. Anyway, Mizuarai's name can be written with the kanji __水__, which means water. Fitting, since he _was_ a council member from Kiri. As for Ookami's codename, Shou, that name can be written as __青__, which means blue. I did this as a pun on my own name. Remember that Ookami (__狼__) means wolf. Makes sense, right? Thanks for reading, and remember to review, or I'll ask Deidara to practice Kaha around you!_


	3. Another Uchiha?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; if I did, then Deidara would still be alive_

**Chapter 3: Another Uchiha?**

It was a fairly normal day at the Akatsuki hideout. Itachi was watching TV, Kakuzu was snoring away on the couch, muttering Shodaime in his sleep. Tobi was five seconds from getting a scorpion tail shoved up his ass. Pein and Konan were having breakfast in the kitchen. Ookami and Deidara were arguing over how artistic kenjutsu was. And Hidan was deep in prayer in the basement. Of course, nothing remains normal in the Akatsuki hideout for long.

"Get back here Tobi!" shouted Sasori.

"But Tobi likes this puppet! I want to keep it!"

"That's a weapon, not a toy!"

"Someone help Tobi! Leader-sama!"

"Get the Hell away from me, Tobi. I'm trying to enjoy breakfast..." muttered Pein.

"Just give him his puppet, Tobi, and he might decide not to kill you," spoke Konan.

"Yes! The voice of reason! Now, why don't you listen to Konan, and give me my puppet?" spoke Sasori, in a seemingly less agitated tone.

"Hmm... no..." replied Tobi.

What followed was an explosion of anger that made Deidara's C3 look like a failed firecracker. Sasori tried to give Tobi the run through with one of his swords. He ended up going right through Tobi, and out the nearby window.

"I'm going to kill you!!" shouted Sasori, as he fell down the side of the tower.

"Good thing he's made out of wood. If he was a person, that wouldn't end too well," spoke Ookami.

"I've never seen him that mad before, un," spoke Deidara.

"Tobi, return his puppet when he gets back," spoke Pein.

"Okay, Leader-sama! Tobi is a good boy!"

"Tobi is a fucking moron! What the Hell is going on? I'm trying to do a fucking ritual, and I can't pray right with those assholes fighting!" shouted Hidan, half covered in his own blood.

"Geez, I'm still not used to that," spoke Ookami.

"You get used to it... especially after you cut his head off a couple times," spoke Kakuzu, who was woken up by the ruckus Tobi caused.

"You fucking try to cut my head off, and I'll cut your balls off," spoke Hidan, while looking at Ookami.

"Relax, I'm not about to do that. The sight of you cutting yourself open like that is enough. If I saw your head off of your body... _talking_ to me and whatnot... I would probably part ways with my lunch," spoke Ookami.

"You know, you should try Jashinism. You'd learn to love blood, rather than fear it," replied Hidan.

"Oh no, you misunderstand. I love painting a battlefield with blood; it's just weird to see someone converse with me when they look like a corpse. Actually, I've been known to rip the heart right out of person," spoke Ookami.

"Oh really? Come into my ritual room. I want to see just how brutal you can be," spoke Hidan, a smile on his face.

"I dunno..." replied Ookami.

"Just go, un," spoke Deidara.

"Where the fuck is Tobi!" shouted Sasori, as he threw open the door.

"On second thought, sure, why not," replied Ookami, rushing to get away from Sasori, lest he find himself being a target of Sasori's anger.

Ookami and Hidan made their way to Hidan's ritual chamber. Hidan made a Jashin circle, and entered into prayer. Ookami felt it best not to interrupt.

"Come on, kneel your head, at least," spoke Hidan, as he returned to his praying. Ookami went along with it. After a good fifteen minutes, Hidan stood up, and motioned for Ookami to walk over to him.

"Now, rip my heart out," spoke Hidan.

"What?"

"I said rip my fucking heart out."

Ookami hesitated, but he pulled back his hand, thrust it into Hidan's chest, and pulled out his still beating heart. Hidan seemed to be enjoying it immensely.

"That's it! That's the feeling! Damn I love this pain!" shouted Hidan.

"Uh... you want this back... I normally eat it in front of the person... but I figure you probably want it back."

"What? Oh, yeah, put it back."

Ookami put Hidan's heart back into his chest, and watched as the Jashinist laid back, and continued his ritual. Ookami watched on. He wasn't interested in following Hidan's religion so much as seeing if everything he was seeing was for real. He sat through the entire ritual.

"Well, you look interested? I can convert you right now, if you want," spoke Hidan.

"Uh... no thanks... I just thought I would... broaden my perspectives by watching," replied Ookami.

"Fine; offer is always available to you if you change your mind."

The two made their way upstairs. Everyone took a long look at Ookami, who's arm was covered with blood.

"What the Hell happened? Did he convert you?" asked a surprised Kakuzu. In all his time traveling with Hidan, he had never seen him successfully convert anyone.

"Nah, I just ripped his heart out... nothing special..." spoke Ookami, as if he ripped out Hidan's heart on a daily basis.

"Oh," replied Kakuzu.

"That's a relief. Last thing I need is to be partnered with a Hidan clone, un," spoke Deidara.

"So, what happened with Sasori and Tobi?" asked Ookami. Everyone in the room pointed in the direction of Sasori's workshop. A couple of screams could be heard coming from the room. "Okay... that answer's my question, so what's for lunch?"

The Akatsuki, minus Sasori and Tobi, sat down and enjoyed some sandwiches. Zetsu made a run to the nearby deli.

"I didn't know what to get you, since you're new, so I just got you the same as me," spoke Zetsu.

"Which is?" asked Ookami.

"The Meat Master Special," replied Zetsu.

"Sweet! I love meat!" shouted Ookami.

"Yeah, just make sure it's not human meat, un," spoke Deidara.

"Eh?" asked Ookami.

"Zetsu's a cannibal, remember?" spoke Kisame.

"Meh, I eat people's hearts every now and then; mostly to scare their comrades and all... I wouldn't live off it, though," replied Ookami.

"Ah, hearts are the best part. I tend to save them for last; they're so tender," spoke Zetsu.

The rest of the meal was spent in silence. After their meal was finished, Sasori finally emerged from the workshop, a giant crossbow in hand.

"Danna? When did you start making..." spoke Deidara, pausing when he noticed who was tied to the weapon.

"Save Tobi!"

Sasori said nothing as he opened up a window, and carefully set up the weapon, looking for something to aim at.

"Hmm... Hanzo's old tower... there it is," muttered Sasori, "Any last words?"

"Set Tobi free?"

"You are the weakest Akatsuki... goodbye," spoke Sasori, as he pulled the trigger. Screaming could be heard as Tobi flew through the air. A cloud of smoke appeared when Tobi hit the old building.

"Been watching the Weakest Link, eh?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah. I swear, if it was me and my puppets, we'd have the million," replied Sasori, a big smile on his face.

"Well, now that this is over with, how about a little training?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, sure, un," replied Deidara.

Sasori returned to his workshop. Pein asked Zetsu to do some spying in Ta no Kuni, looking to see what Orochimaru was up to. Hidan and Kakuzu went off on one of their bounty hunting trips. Kisame grabbed Itachi, and ran off with him towards the place where the Yonbi was last seen. Pein and Konan stayed behind, while Deidara and Ookami went out to the training arena.

"So, you have this technique you wanted to show me, un?"

"Yeah, do you have those practice targets Sasori made?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, set them up, and... hmm... you have a marker, or something?"

"What do you need it for, un?"

"I need to make some of these different from the others."

"There are some that are different colors already, un."

"Oh, that will do, then. Just set them up in random places. Doesn't matter where."

"Doesn't sound very artistic."

"It will get artistic, you'll see."

Deidara set up the targets around the field. Ookami looked at the group of practice puppets.

"Ah, they looks so defenseless, don't they?" asked Ookami.

"You wouldn't say that if we brought the combat puppets, un."

"Well, now, I'll make it so that even from up high in the sky, I'll only hit the green ones. I won't so much as scratch the blue ones."

"And why would you want to do that, un?"

"Think about it. We have to capture the Jinchuuriki at some point, right? We can't kill them, but we might have to kill those around them."

"Most live alone, you know, un. They are shunned by their villages."

"Well, that Kazekage wasn't. He'll be protected for sure. So, we need to kill their guards, without killing them, and we need to do it from afar, in order to avoid any messy problems."

"What kind of messy problems, un?"

"Oh, like, say... Leader-sama ripping our arms off for botching another stealth operation."

"Right..."

"Now, sit back and watch," spoke Ookami, as he made a clay bird for the two to ride on. It flew up high in the sky.

"That scope of yours... you can see targets from afar, even try to hit them, but tell me, do you miss?"

"Sometimes, un. I usually get the target."

"Well, I'll show you my precision art," spoke Ookami. He started to focus. His normally red eyes started to change, gaining a three point black mark. This mark was a thinner version of that of another technique.

"Sharingan!? You're a Uchiha!?" shouted Deidara, backing away from Ookami.

"Uchiha? Like Itachi? What the Hell would make you think that?"

"Your eyes! Those damned Uchiha eyes, un! Only the Uchiha have them!"

"Oh wait... Sharingan... that's right, I've heard of it before. That's why Itachi's eyes look like that. No, this isn't the Sharingan. This is my own person doujutsu. It took me years to learn this."

"Why would you bother, un?"

"Well... I... uh... there was this... kunoichi... and..."

"You had to fight her friends, and didn't want to hurt her, un?"

"Yeah. I didn't have to fight, or anything, but... I could have... so, that was my reason for developing the technique."

"All this because of a girl, un? Was she a work of art?"

"I'll show you her picture later, now... watch." Ookami had made several small clay insects, and tossed them down at the targets below. Just as promised, he blew off the heads of the green puppets. He didn't hit a single blue puppet. Each attack was a head shot. He didn't even have a near miss. When Deidara and Ookami landed, Deidara was impressed.

"Not a single miss, un..."

"I told you. Precision. That is the power of my Sogekigan _(Sniping Eye)_!" shouted Ookami.

"What else could you use that for, un?"

"Eh? What do you mean?"

Deidara had a big grin going across his face.

"Not bad, Itachi... I see your kenjutsu is as strong as ever!" shouted Kisame. Both he and Itachi were holding a duel.

"Of course it is," replied Itachi. He then heard something from behind.

"Kisame, someone is watching us," whispered Itachi. The Uchiha threw several kunai from where he heard the sound. Then he heard another.

"Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!" shouted Itachi, as one of his fireballs incinerated a tree. He heard another sound.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Itachi shouted, as he sent his clone to look into the situation. The clone found nothing.

"Itachi, are you okay? Maybe you've been training too hard..."

"There!" shouted Itachi, cutting off Kisame by throwing kunai into the bush behind him. Once again, there was nothing there.

Itachi noticed a certain silhouette on the ground, and smiled. He made a motion to Kisame, telling him to look up. The shark-nin took a quick glance up, and noticed. The Kisame heard a sound. He threw a kunai at it, to see it hit nothing.

"This is too much fun! You think they've started to lose it yet?" asked Ookami.

"Not yet, un," replied Deidara. Both were laughing hard, thinking they were safe from Itachi and Kisame. They figured even if the two figured out what was going on, they would be able to get out of the way. Ookami made another mini insect. He was detonating them near the ears of the two nin below to make them think there were others nearby. The next one was for Kisame. This appeared to anger Kisame quite a bit. He started making several rounds of hand seals.

"Suiton: Bakusui Shouha!" shouted Kisame, spitting out a late below.

"Eww... I ain't swimming in that," spoke Ookami. Deidara was still laughing. Both got rather silent when the water rose to have Kisame looking at them on one side, and Itachi on the other.

"So... uh... did you find them?" asked Ookami.

"Yep," spoke Kisame.

Kisame and Itachi slammed the clay bird Ookami and Deidara were riding hard enough to send it into the water, separating it from Deidara and Ookami, who were now in the water.

"Ah! I'm swimming in shark spit!" shouted Ookami.

"It's water, un... just out of him..." spoke Deidara.

"Oh... wait a minute... is that a wave?" asked Ookami.

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" shouted Kisame.

"Oh Hell..." muttered Ookami, as both he and Deidara were washed away. When the two woke up, they had Kisame and Itachi staring at them.

"You two never learn, do you?" asked Kisame.

"What? He asked me to try out my technique on you guys. Thought it couldn't hurt. We just had a little fun, no need to kill us, right?" asked Ookami.

"You do remember what Sasori did to Tobi, right?" replied Kisame.

"Oh... yeah... uh... do we at least get a head start?" asked Ookami.

"No," spoke Itachi, as he looked both Ookami and Deidara in the eye. Then Kisame and Itachi disappeared.

"Huh? Where did they go?" asked Ookami.

"I'm not sure... wait, is that Leader-sama over there, un?" asked Deidara.

"I think it is. Hey, Leader-sama! What brings you out here?" asked Ookami.

"Oh, just thought I'd see what my men were up to. I have something for you two," spoke Pein.

Ookami and Deidara walked over to Pein. The Akatsuki leader smiled, put his hands behind his back, and pulled out... nothing.

"Eh?" replied the Blast Brothers in unison. Pein ripped both of their arms off.

"Enjoy the new back scratchers!" shouted Pein, as he broke out laughing. Both Ookami and Deidara screamed out in pain.

"Hey, Zetsu, I got your dinner all ready; enjoy," spoke Pein.

Zetsu appeared, and began to eat the both of them.

"No!!" shouted Ookami.

"Wah, un!!" shouted Deidara. The entire time, Pein was laughing the type of laugh that would send shivers down the spine of any man.

Ookami and Deidara found themselves in the Akatsuki hideout, next to a beat up Tobi.

"So, what did you two do?" asked the masked-nin.

"Pranked Itachi and Kisame, un," spoke Deidara. Ookami was coughing and gagging. "You get used to that after a while. Itachi pulls that genjutsu shit on everyone when they piss him off, un. Except Leader-sama, Konan, and Hidan, because he would actually enjoy it."

"Oh... joy..." muttered Ookami.

"Ookami... you alright?" asked Itachi.

"Huh? Well... I'm alright now... why did you do that?" asked Ookami.

"Because..." spoke Itachi, as he got real close to Ookami, "... you lack the good sense to know better!!"

"Okay..." muttered Ookami.

At that moment, Kakuzu ran in, looking as happy as ever.

"I just cashed in an S-Rank bounty! We're eating out tonight!" shouted the old man.

"Sweet!" shouted Ookami.

"Alright, un!" shouted Deidara.

That night, the Akatsuki went out to the finest restaurant in Amegakure. Pein even let it stop raining while they were out. The group had a great time. Ookami smiled.

"_Ah, finally, a group a head cases I can enjoy myself with. I haven't had this much fun since the day I toasted a platoon of Kiri-nin!"_ Ookami thought to himself.

It was a good night to be an Akatsuki.


	4. Confrontation

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto of any of it's characters, but Ookami __**is**__mine!_

**Chapter 4: Confrontation**

"Hey, Ookami!" shouted Hidan.

"Rip your own heart out! It stopped being amusing after the fifth time!" shouted Ookami.

"Tobi wants to help Hidan!"

"Tobi can go fuck himself!" shouted Hidan, as he went back to his ritual chamber.

"Huh... that'll do. Arigatou, Tobi," spoke Ookami.

"Tobi is a good boy!"

"Hey, Ookami, un."

"What's up Deidara?" asked Ookami.

"There's this village on the border of Hi no Kuni Leader-sama wants us to look into, un," spoke Deidara.

"Really?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, and if the Sanbi isn't there, we can blow it to bits! We win both ways, un," replied Deidara.

"Can Tobi come?"

"No!!" shouted Deidara and Ookami in unison. Tobi went off to sulk, while Ookami and Deidara made a couple of their birds, and rode off for Hi no Kuni.

"Deidara and Ookami are mean!!" shouted Tobi.

"What did they do to you this time?" asked Konan.

"They won't let me go out with them on their fun mission! Deidara-senpai even said they get to blow up a village!" shouted Tobi.

"Blow up a village?" asked Konan, while glaring at Pein.

"I didn't say they couldn't... it's not like anyone will miss a small border village," muttered Pein.

"What am I going to do with you..." replied Konan.

"So, Deidara's going to level another village, eh? I almost feel bad for them," spoke Kisame, digging through the refrigerator for something to eat.

"Deidara blowing away another village... he he..." muttered Sasori. He just happened to be on his way to the living area. He felt a gambling opportunity, and he wasn't about to miss it.

"Hey, Kakuzu!" shouted Sasori.

"What? This better be good..." muttered the old man.

"I bet you fifty bucks Deidara blows that village to pieces, no survivors," spoke Sasori.

"He... he might not do so well with Ookami there... I'll take you up on it!" shouted Kakuzu.

"I got twenty on him leveling the place," spoke Zetsu.

"Betting on a mission again, are you? I can't pass this up. I have thirty on Deidara leveling the place," spoke Kisame.

"Hey Itachi, you in?" asked Kakuzu.

"Hmm... fine, ten on them not killing everyone..." muttered Itachi.

"Oh, come on, at least bet twenty!" shouted Kakuzu.

"Fine, twenty, now let me be," spoke Itachi.

Ookami and Deidara had made their way to the village. They flew around, looking to see if there were any signs of someone who could be the Sanbi jinchuuriki.

"_Last time Zetsu brought up the Sanbi, he said it had no jinchuuriki... I wish he would make up his mind, un,"_ Deidara thought to himself.

"_Haven't been to Hi no Kuni in quite some time... not since that Chunin Selection Exam I was using to find Orochimaru... wait... I know those nin... shit!"_ Ookami thought to himself, as he made way for where Deidara was.

"Deidara! We need to hide! Now!" shouted Ookami.

"Hide? From what, un?"

"Two teams of Konoha-nin! One has the Kyubi Jinchuuriki!"

"Kyubi Jinchuuriki?" asked Deidara. _"Ah, this is the perfect time to pull one over on Itachi, un."_

"We should try and capture him, un," spoke Deidara.

"If he was alone, that would be one thing. In this situation, we would have to be dealing with two jonin and their teams. I'm not ready to have to deal with that!" shouted Ookami.

"Konoha jonin? I could take two easily. Itachi could handle four of them, un," replied Deidara.

"Those two jonin are Hatake Kakashi and Yuhi Kurenai. Kakashi of the Sharingan, and the genjutsu specialist Kurenai. You want to go head to head with them? And their teams? Which include the Kyubi jinchuuriki!?" shouted Ookami.

"Itachi could do it, un."

"We're not Itachi!!"

"You have that Sogekigan of yours, can't you get them from the sky, un?"

"Well... maybe... let's just look around first. I'll keep an eye on Kurenai's team, you look after Kakashi's team and the Kyubi brat."

"_Kyubi brat... he he, oh, how I would love to upstage Itachi, un!"_ thought Deidara. "Alright."

Deidara went after Kakashi's team, while Ookami tracked Kurenai's team.

"Hmm... now, where did that Kyubi brat go... damn, un! He's not with them!?" shouted a frustrated Deidara. He was too loud for his own good, grabbing Kakashi's attention. He found himself being restrained by what looked like some kind of tiger.

"Get this thing off me, un!" shouted Deidara.

"So, Akatsuki is here? Well, you sure got caught easily. I was worried the rest of you would be stronger than Itachi," spoke Kakashi.

"I am stronger, un!!" shouted Deidara.

Ookami had spotted his target, as he was walking along. He decided to use a henge to appear to be a Suna jonin. He heard a loud explosion, grabbing the attention of the group. Instead of tailing them, he found himself face to face with them.

"So, you heard it, too?" asked Kurenai.

"Uh... yeah..." muttered Ookami.

"We should check it out!" spoke a boy with a rather large dog.

"It isn't near any of the people we're supposed to be watching," spoke a boy with a hood over his head.

"Byakugan!" shouted a kunoichi with long, lavender hair. "Shino's right; it's over near Team Kakashi!"

"Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan?" asked Ookami.

"You've been to Konoha before, haven't you?" asked Kurenai.

"I was at your Chunin Selection Exam a few years ago. Your match was rather interesting. It's unfortunate you lost, Hinata," replied Ookami.

"You... saw that..." muttered Hinata.

"Don't you remember? Myself and the other jonin there had to stop that Neji guy from killing you," spoke Ookami.

"That's right, I remember you now. I never got the chance to thank you for that," spoke Kurenai.

"It's the least I could do for someone as beautiful and talented as..." Ookami stopped when he realized what he was saying. Both him and Hinata were glowing.

"We need to see what's going on with Team Kakashi!" shouted Kurenai, and she and her team headed off.

"I'll join you!" shouted Ookami.

The Team Kurenai and Ookami found Team Kakashi; they found Deidara had gotten into a fight with the Konoha-nin. Deidara had managed to get up into the sky, and was sending his bombs after the members of Team Kakashi. Sai, the only member with any kind of long range attack, was attempting to get Deidara, but with no success.

"_Uh... Deidara... what have you done..._" Ookami thought to himself.

"Shou-san!" shouted Kakashi, "I take it you were here with the Suna guard?"

"Yeah!" shouted Ookami.

"It looks like a member of Akatsuki is here after the daimyou. Be on the look out; they always travel in pairs," spoke Kakashi.

"Thanks for the heads up, Kakashi-san!" replied Ookami. _"Great, I have to fight Deidara in order to avoid blowing my cover."_

Ookami drew his katana, and channeled his chakra through it. He began batting away the clay explosives that got near the Konoha-nin. He was keeping a careful eye on Hinata.

"So, it seems we're put in a situation against a mutual foe. Didn't expect such a situation would ever come up," spoke Ookami.

"Hai, Shou-san," replied Hinata. Ookami batted away another explosive. At that point Deidara had taken note that another person had joined in on the fighting.

"_Ookami, un? Why is he fighting... wait, that kunoichi he's with... oh shit,"_ Deidara thought to himself. He recalled an event that took place a few days ago.

"Hey, Deidara, see this girl here? She's a kunoichi of Konoha. She's the one I was telling you about," spoke Ookami.

"She really is a work of art. I might have to try to get with her if you aren't able to, un," replied the former Iwa-nin.

"Neither of us have a chance, really. Not as members of Akatsuki."

"We could just capture her, and then you could have your way with her, un."

"That's not how you charm a lady properly, Deidara. I have to admit, I wouldn't mind doing that, but I'd rather not. It's just not... the right way to a woman's heart."

"My my, this one must have left quite an impression on you, un."

"Yeah. It was her fighting spirit. There was a tournament for the preliminaries to the finals of the exams. She continued to fight, even though it was clear that she had lost. Her opponent almost killed her. At that point, I stepped in to stop the match. A lot of jonin joined me in my efforts. I rushed her off to the medical ward. I was worried she was going to die. Later on, I found out she was alright. I was going to go and talk to her about her match, but then that damned snake started his invasion, and I had to divert my attention to him. To the best of my knowledge, she wasn't caught up in it. His lackey, Kabuto, put the spectators of the finals under some kind of genjutsu that put everyone in the audience to sleep. I think about her every now and then. I took this picture of her right before I was going to talk to her. She looks so innocent, looking out into the arena. I wished for her safety, as I fled. I attempted to get near Orochimaru, but his guard made that difficult. Even worse; I found out that Suna was allied with that snake bastard, so it wasn't like I could go around Konoha looking to ask her out to dinner."

"Well, I heard they patched things up, un."

"Yeah, I heard that, too. Actually, every now and then, when I caught wind of a Suna ambassador heading into Konoha, I would join up with them. She was never around, though, and I had to leave with the Suna ambassadors in order to avoid blowing my cover. Of course, I gave that up once I finally caught wind of where Orochimaru was again. After I finally found him... well, you know the rest from there."

"_Yeah, that's the girl from that picture, alright. There he goes, playing the innocent Suna-nin. Well, I'm not going to let him pull this nonsense on me, un."_

Deidara hopped off of his bird right in front of Ookami, and looked him in the eye.

"Shou, eh? Drop the lousy disguise, and just tell them who you really are, un?" spoke Deidara.

"Shou-san, what's he talking about?" asked Hinata.

"Tell her that you're really my partner in Akatsuki... _Ookami_," spoke Deidara.

"Shou-san, what's he talking about?" asked Kakashi.

"Tell them, un!" shouted Deidara.

"Damn it... alright, I'm Ookami, of Kirigakure," spoke Ookami. He dissipated his henge, and showed his true appearance.

"So, you were an Akatsuki the entire time... I'll give you credit, even I was fooled," spoke Kakashi.

"I wasn't in Akatsuki during the exams. I was spying on Orochimaru of my own accord. I had a bone to pick with the snake. I didn't join Akatsuki until recently," explained Ookami.

"Tell me, are you the same Ookami of Kirigakure that took out an entire garrison of Kiri-nin one night?" asked Kurenai.

"They were responsible for killing my parents. Unfortunately, the man pulling the strings behind it was not there. I didn't catch up with him until recently. It's not like I did it without reason," replied Ookami.

"Why, Shou-san... Ookami-san?" asked Hinata.

"I'm sure you'll all familiar with the coup d'etat staged by the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. They caused a lot of chaos in their attempt on the Mizukage's life. The shinobi in charge of hunting them down were rather upset when they failed. They killed people just for the sake of killing people, in order to take out their frustrations. The garrison I took out was the one responsible," explained Ookami.

"Hey everyone, what's going on... Akatsuki!" shouted a certain blond.

"The Kyubi Jinchuuriki was somewhere else the entire time, un..." muttered Deidara.

"Wait, you guys are after Naruto, aren't you," spoke Kakashi, as he drew a kunai. He threw them at Ookami. He deflected them with his katana.

"Well, Deidara, you got us into this situation, now get us out!" shouted Ookami.

"What, I just wanted you to be honest with that girl you liked. No sense in lying, un. You were the one going on about the right ways to court a woman," replied Deidara.

"Uh... yeah... so... uh... yeah... Hinata... I... uh..." stuttered Ookami.

"You blew your comrades cover over the girl he liked..." muttered Kakashi.

"These guys are Akatsuki? They're not nearly as intimidating at Uchiha Itachi..." muttered Naruto.

Hinata didn't say anything. Given how awkward the situation was, no one could really blame her.

"You know, if you really like her, then maybe you should hand yourself over to us," spoke Kurenai.

"How about it, Deidara?" asked Ookami.

"Are you insane, un!? I'm not rotting in a prison cell for your sake!!" shouted Deidara.

"But... I don't want to fight Hinata-chan..." muttered Ookami.

"I don't want a freak like you to date Hinata!!" shouted Naruto, as he sucker punched Ookami. He responded by looking down at the Kyubi Jinchuuriki.

"That hurt..." muttered Ookami, as he rubbed his face.

"Naruto-kun..." muttered Hinata.

"Wait... you like him!?" asked Ookami.

"Well... um... I kind of like you... Ookami-kun... you did protect me... that time..." stuttered Hinata.

"Wait, you protected Hinata at some point?" asked a confused Naruto.

"Don't you remember the Chunin Selection Exam from a few years ago!? I was there... wait... I forgot... Henge!!" shouted Ookami, taking up his Shou persona. "Remember now!?"

"No..." replied Naruto. Ookami dissipated his henge.

"Why I wouldn't mind seeing where this goes, we are enemies, are we not?" asked Kakashi. He was reading his Icha Icha Tactics book.

"Icha Icha Tactics? Is that the most recent one? You know where I can land a copy?" asked Ookami.

"I personally know the author, that's how I got my copy," replied Kakashi, still reading.

"I need to grab myself a copy; I'm still reading Icha Icha Violence," replied Ookami, pulling out a familiar looking red book.

"_Is this really happening, un?"_ Deidara thought to himself.

"_An Akatsuki who likes Icha Icha..."_ Kurenai thought to herself.

"I don't feel like fighting, un... where's the nearest bar?" asked Deidara.

"Wait, didn't you two come here to attack the daimyou?" asked Kurenai.

"No, we were looking for the Sanbi Jinchuuriki, un," replied Deidara.

"A jinchuuriki?" asked Naruto.

"You're the jinchuuriki of the Kyubi. You must know the Kazekage? He's the Ichibi Jinchuuriki. They're the only ones we know about right now, un," explained Deidara.

Naruto maintained a look of confusion.

"You used words with more than three syllables; he's not going to understand you until you explain it a couple more times," spoke Kakashi.

"Un..." muttered Deidara.

"Yeah, it makes me want to drink, too. Let's go, looks like you could use it," spoke Kakashi. Deidara and Kakashi ran off to the nearby bar.

"So... uh... how goes life in Konoha? I haven't been by there in a while," asked Ookami.

"It's been busy. We keep getting plenty of missions. The Hokage has been preparing to deal with you guys," replied Kurenai.

"Ah, I see. I'm still new with them, and all. I took Orochimaru's place. Stole his ring out from under him at one of his bases. You know, he's really hard to find," spoke Ookami.

"You did find him? Not bad," spoke the person with the dog.

"Let's see if I remember all your names... you're Inuzuka Kiba; you lost to Uzumaki Naruto during the exam I was present for. You're Aburame Shino, you're Haruno Sakura. You had a rather interesting match; actually both of you did. But I remember how long Sakura's match was... but there was the blood from Shino's match... he he... I don't know you... I guess he must be Uchiha Sasuke's replacement. And then, of course, there is the lovely Hinata..." Ookami started blushing.

"_This is pathetic..."_ Kiba thought to himself.

"_He's just as weird as Hinata..."_ Naruto thought to himself.

"_He is kind of handsome..."_ Sakura thought to herself.

"_Danzou-sama is right... emotions can make the strong weak..."_ Sai thought to himself.

"_He's in league with Uchiha Itachi?" _Kurenai thought to herself.

"_chirp chirp"_ was all that was on Shino's mind.

"_Ookami-kun..."_ thought Hinata.

"Well... since we're not fighting..." muttered Ookami.

"Wait, do you know Uchiha Itachi?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah, what about him?" asked Ookami.

"Well, do you know where Sasuke is?" asked Naruto.

"He's with Orochimaru, right? That snake is always on the move. Saso... I mean, one of the other members was tracking him. You'd have to ask him where to find Orochimaru was. It was hard enough to find him once... and I'm never going anywhere near him again..." Ookami shivered at the memory of what happened before.

"Wait, don't you want to capture Naruto-kun?" asked Hinata.

"Hmm... well... yeah... we did plan on taking him eventually... well, Itachi is supposed to. I'm supposed to catch the Sanbi," replied Ookami.

"I don't want you to hurt Naruto-kun..." muttered Hinata.

"Hmm? Well... uh... if you guys promise not to kill me, or something, I'll go bother my leader. Give me a few moments. Asutoraru Tousha no Jutsu!" shouted Ookami. He found himself in front of Pein's office. He let himself in to find a rather bothersome scene in front of him. Pein and Konan were busy making love on Pein's desk.

"Uh... shouldn't you put a white sock on your door when doing that?" asked Ookami.

"Get out!!" shouted Pein and Konan in unison. Ookami waited outside for several minutes.

"_Uh... he's not going to be happy when I go in there..."_ Ookami thought to himself.

"Come in," spoke Pein. Ookami walked back in. It was obvious they rushed to put their clothes back on. "What is it?"

"Well, I've confronted the Kyubi Jinchuuriki here. There is no sign of the Sanbi anywhere," replied Ookami.

"Oh? Have you caught him? The Kyubi Jinchuuriki?" asked Pein.

"Yeah, about that... do we have to capture him?" asked Ookami.

"You're not seriously questioning my motives are you? You know what will happen to you if you question me," replied Pein.

"I don't want to kill the annoying little bastard. That's what will happen if we pull the bijuu out, right?" asked Ookami.

"We have to kill him; it's the only way," spoke Pein.

"Well... don't we know any resurrection techniques?" asked Ookami.

"Hmm... Sasori, report to my office," spoke Pein into his com unit. Sasori arrived in a few minutes. "Sasori, wasn't your grandmother working on some kind of resurrection technique?"

"Tensei no Jutsu, but it costs one life to bring back another," replied Sasori.

"What if more than one person performed the technique?" asked Ookami.

"More than one person... well, theoretically, if two people transferred half their life force, I suppose it would work... but those two people would most likely be bed ridden for a week or so. It would require several people in order to negate the risks," replied Sasori.

"But we can revive him? Okay, I can accept that. You know, I can use this to convince him join us willingly!" shouted Ookami.

"Don't be so sure; if they knew what I was going to do with the bijuu, they wouldn't be so cooperative," replied Pein.

"What do you want to do with the bijuu?" asked Ookami.

"Let's just say... make the world a better place," replied Pein, "one we would control."

"Oh... well, I'll just leave that part out. Seriously, though, white sock on the door next time. See you soon, Leader-sama," spoke Ookami, as he disappeared.

"Is there anything else?" asked Sasori.

"Yeah, put a white sock on our door, and make sure no one bothers us for an hour. We have some important work to take care of," spoke Pein.

"Hai, Leader-sama," replied Sasori, as he did as he was told. _"Important, eh? I'm older than you; who do you think you're trying to kid?"_ The loud sounds coming from the office confirmed Sasori's suspicions.

"Okay, I talked to my leader; he told me we can do this without killing him, but it will take several people to prevent that," replied Ookami.

"Wait, so you can get this creature out of me? This demon that had messed up my childhood?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah, sure," replied Ookami.

"Arigatou!!" shouted Naruto, as he hugged Ookami.

"Kid, you have five seconds to let go before I get even with you for that punch earlier," spoke Ookami.

"Arigatou, Ookami-kun," spoke Hinata, as she hugged Ookami.

"_Okay, this is really awkward..."_ Ookami thought to himself. The two Konoha-nin eventually let him go. Ookami decided to have a little fun, made one of his birds, and pulled Hinata on it, then took off.

"I'll bring her back, promise!" shouted Ookami.

"Should we trust him, Kurenai-sensei?" asked Naruto.

"I don't know. Everything I knew about Akatsuki was just turned upside down," spoke Kurenai. _"And I can't join Kakashi at the bar because I might be pregnant... I don't think I've ever needed a drink so badly."_

"Ookami-kun!" shouted Hinata.

"Don't worry, I won't let you fall," replied Ookami, with a smile. Ookami took Hinata on a tour of the countryside. He had been wishing to do that for quite sometime. They flew around the area. They had a breathtaking view of the forest below. Ookami paused over a lake.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? Just like you are," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah..." stuttered Hinata. Ookami held Hinata to his body. He didn't realize what he was doing at first, but as she lay against him, he enjoyed the moment. In his mind, there was nothing but Hinata. He even forgot he was an Akatsuki, who swore allegiance to Pein and his vision for a new world. After a pleasant day out on the lake, Ookami returned to the village. He left Hinata with her teammates, and decided to check up on Deidara.

"Yeah, un, he gave me this sword here..." spoke Deidara.

"It's just a stick," spoke Kakashi.

"No, it's special, see, you put chakra into it, and it changes like one of those... un... cards..." Deidara tried to channel his chakra; he didn't succeed in his drunken state. His katana had a flame about the size one would see on a match.

"Let me see it," asked Kakashi.

"What? You want to see something, un?" asked Deidara. Kakashi gently took Deidara's katana, and poured his chakra into it. It glowed brightly with his lightning chakra.

"You an art lover, un? That sure is pretty..." muttered Deidara.

"Hey, Deidara... sweet Kami, what the Hell is that!?" asked Ookami.

"Oh, I borrowed this from your friend. I think you should hold onto it," spoke Kakashi, ceasing his chakra flow into the weapon, and handing it to Ookami.

"He's drunk, isn't he?" asked Ookami.

"You're friend doesn't hold his liquor too well, does he?" asked Kakashi.

"Apparently not... uh... Deidara, you're embarrassing... so much for the great Blast Brothers..." muttered Ookami. He took Deidara with him as he and Kakashi walked out of the bar. Ookami decided to hang around until the daimyou left. Apparently, the daimyou agreed to meet with representatives from Sunagakure about their recent alliance agreements with Kirigakure. After the meeting was over, everyone prepared to leave.

"So, yeah... I guess that was interesting, un," spoke Deidara.

"Indeed. Well, I didn't want to have fight you guys, anyway. Though, I was kind of looking forward to blowing up the village," spoke Ookami.

"Eh?" asked Naruto.

"Explosions are beautiful, you know? Here, let me show you. See this little bird here?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, it's nice and all..."

"Wait, I'll show you how nice it is!" shouted Ookami, cutting off Naruto. He made the bird fly up into the sky. "Katsu!" The bird made a brilliant explosion.

"See! That's art!" shouted Ookami.

"Oh... sure..." muttered Naruto.

"I swear, if it weren't for Hinata-chan..." muttered Ookami.

"So, you guys aren't going to take Naruto?" asked Kakashi.

"Nah, not yet. We still have to take care of some things first. We promise not to kill him. That's fair, right? We just want the Kyubi. What happens to him after that is his business," explained Ookami.

"Very well," spoke Kakashi.

"I'll try to ask Itachi to go easier on you guys, but don't expect any miracles... he's... crazy..." spoke Ookami, "Bye, Hinata-chan!" Ookami hugged Hinata one more time, before dragging Deidara off on one of his artistic works. He decided to fly home on a dragon this time.

"I wonder how Hokage-sama will respond to this?" spoke Kakashi.

"I'm still trying to respond to this," replied Kurenai, as the Konoha-nin returned to their village.

Back in Amegakure, Ookami dropped off Deidara in his room, then went to have his debriefing with Pein. He noted there was no white sock, and thought it safe to enter.

"Ah, Ookami, did you bring the Kyubi Jinchuuriki?" asked Pein.

"No, Leader-sama, but I entered into an agreement with him and his teammates. As long as we resurrect him, they'll hand him over. I can go in place of Itachi when the time is right," spoke Ookami.

"Very well, I'll give the Kyubi to you. Itachi can take care of the Sanbi," replied Pein, "Is there anything else?"

"Yeah, how much time did you two spend doing the horizontal mambo?" asked Ookami. Konan sent Ookami flying out of the room.

"Baka!" shouted Konan.

"Angel, do you have a white sock I can borrow?" asked Pein.

"Let's use our room this time," spoke Konan, winking. Something about seeing Konan nearly knock the life out of one of his subordinates turned Pein on.

"So, Ookami, how loud did everyone scream when you burnt the village to the ground?" asked Sasori.

"Oh, we didn't blow up the village," replied Ookami, lying on his back, with a black eye.

"Are you serious?" asked Sasori.

"Yeah," replied Ookami.

"Pay up!" shouted Kakuzu.

"I can't believe they didn't waste the village..." muttered Sasori.

"Kisame!" shouted Kakuzu.

"What?" asked the shark-nin.

"You lost! Pay up!" shouted Kakuzu.

"What!?" shouted Kisame. Ookami nodded, and Kisame paid up. Itachi smiled when he received his share. They would get Zetsu to pay up when he returned from his mission.


	5. The Plan Unfolds

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; if I did, Deidara would still be alive_

**Chapter 5: The Plan Unfolds**

"Finally, it's finished!" shouted Pein. He was in one of his secret rooms; the only other person allowed in these rooms is Konan, and sometimes a certain other person.

"So, you finally finished with the statue?" asked Konan.

"Hai! Now, we can finally start capturing the bijuu!" shouted Pein.

Pein and Konan walked the rounds throughout the hideout waking up everyone. It may have been six in the morning, but that wasn't about to stop Pein from waking everyone and sharing his excitement with them. After a few minutes, everyone was up, and in the living room.

"Uh... what is so important that it can't wait a few more hours?" asked Ookami, still in his boxers.

"Could you repeat that? All I heard was 'blah blah rip off my arms,'" spoke Pein.

"Um... I said I'm glad you woke us all up... didn't want to sleep in again!" shouted Ookami.

"That's more like it. I woke you up for two reasons. The first being that I've finally finished the statue we're going to use to seal the bijuu. The second is to list everyone's assignments. I know I've mentioned it a couple times, but now I'm going to make an official list. The assignments will be as follows; the ichibi will be assigned to Deidara, the nibi will be assigned to Hidan, the sanbi will be assigned to Ookami, the yonbi will be assigned to Kakuzu, the gobi will be assigned to Konan, the rokubi will be assigned to Sasori, the shichibi will be assigned to Zetsu, the hachibi will be assigned to Kakuzu, and the kyubi will be assigned to Itachi. Any questions?" asked Pein.

"Yeah, which one are you going after?" asked Ookami.

"You really don't like your arms, do you? I'll help Konan with the gobi; outside of that, I'll be coordinating your efforts," replied Pein.

"What order are we doing this in?" asked Kakuzu.

"Well, theoretically, the only one we have to do in order is the kyubi. If we try to seal the kyubi before we seal the other beasts, the imbalance of chakra would destroy the sealing statue. I suppose we could do it in order. Zetsu knows where all of them are. Which means Deidara and 'Mr. I don't love my arms' are going to be the first ones to go on the hunt," explained Pein.

"Sounds like fun. So, that means we have to go back to Suna, right?" asked Ookami.

"Correct. Capture the Kazekage. Remember, you have to capture him alive. If either of you kill him... Kami help you," spoke Pein, in a bone chilling voice.

"Great, I'm going back to bed... see you all later..." muttered Ookami.

"What? Don't you want to get a head start, eh?" asked Deidara.

"Nah... I'm not a morning person," replied Ookami.

"As much as I would like to boot you two out of here, if you wan to catch up on your sleep, you're free to do so. I've heard about how strong the Ichibi Jinchuuriki is," spoke Pein.

"Wow... how kind..." muttered Ookami, as he walked into his room.

"Kakuzu, take Ookami to the medical room," spoke Pein.

"Why?" asked Kakuzu.

Pein walked towards Ookami's room. A few seconds later, a loud scream was heard. Pein walked out holding Ookami's arm.

"Sew this back on to Ookami," spoke Pein, as he tossed over Ookami's arm. However, it dissolved into clay.

"He used a nendo bunshin? He's more clever than I thought..." mumbled Pein.

"Wait, if that was a nendo bunshin, then where is Ookami, eh?" asked Deidara.

Somewhere outside of Konoha, Ookami was walking down a path with Hinata.

"And that was the moment when I decided to keep a more upbeat outlook on life. I mean, I finally had my revenge. I never really let it consume me, or anything, so it was easy," spoke Ookami.

"I see, Ookami-kun," replied Hinata.

"Hmm... wait, I think my nendo bunshin was discovered. Well, seems I have a mission. Looks like I have to help Deidara capture Sabaku no Gaara. Don't worry, though, I'll make sure we don't kill him," spoke Ookami.

"You best not, Naruto-kun is his friend; he would be rather upset," spoke Hinata.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later! One of these days I'll take you to our hideout. It rains all the time in Amegakure, but our little high level mansion has a great view of everything!" shouted Ookami, as he made a clay dragon. He hugged Hinata, and made his way back to Amegakure. He received a rather warm welcome.

"Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!" shouted Itachi. Ookami's dragon exploded, launching him onto the balcony.

"Does Leader-sama still want to rip my arm off?" asked Ookami.

"I don't know, and I don't care; he just told me to blast you out of the sky," answered Itachi.

"Ah, feel the love..." muttered Ookami.

Ookami made his way into the hideout, looking around for any sign of Pein. He went into the kitchen and started making his breakfast. He decided to prepare himself some green tea. He gave up coffee in favor of the more healthy beverage.

"Where were you?" asked Pein's Deidara clone body.

"Geez, for a second there, I thought you were Deidara... with piercings. I was out near... uh..." stuttered Ookami.

"You better tell me, or I'll rip your arm off," spoke Pein, " and you better not lie."

"Alright, I was out by Konoha. I've been dating a Konoha kunoichi," replied Ookami.

"A konoichi from Konoha?" asked a curious Pein.

"Yeah... I kind of told her I would resurrect the Kyubi Jinchuuriki after we removed his bijuu. I'll have her help, so all I need is for someone to teach me how to perform Tensei no Jutsu," replied Ookami.

"Geez, kid, you're as much of a hopeless romantic as I am," muttered Pein.

"Really? You don't come off that way. You and Konan seem to do pretty well... if those incidents of my running into you two while you're... making it... are any clue. Which reminds me... I've been meaning to ask, but, which body do you use for that, or do you use them all? I mean, for Konan, it must be great getting six men for the price of one," spoke Ookami.

"Well... uh... my main body... yeah..." stuttered Pein.

"Not that it will keep me up at night, but I know you're lying," spoke Ookami, "if you don't want me to know, I won't bother you about it."

"Alright, I'll tell you, but you have to promise me you won't tell anyone else," spoke Pein.

"Eh? Why are you being so nice, anyway?" asked Ookami.

"You remind me of my childhood friend," replied Pein.

"Who was that? Konan?"

"No, his name was Yahiko. He was cocky, laid back, and lazy."

"Huh... yep, that's me in a nutshell. What happened to him?"

"He contracted a terminal illness. I offered him the chance to become my first body; his memories live on in me. He's my main body... but, with Konan..." Pein quickly looked around, to make sure no one was around. "I use my real body. I can't tell you where I keep myself, but no one knows where to kind me, except Konan."

"But wait, I always see you as Yahiko..."

"Henge. And only when someone bursts into the room."

"Oh... your secret is safe with me, Leader-sama."

"I'll let you call me Pein, provided you only do so when it's just us talking, man to man."

"Alright, Pein."

"By the way, you mention any of this to the others, I'll rip your arms off, and I _won't_ let Kakuzu sew them back on."

"Did you say that to Yahiko?"

"Meh, sometimes, but I was kidding with him. Anyway, finish with that tea of yours, and get moving."

Pein walked off, with a cup of coffee in hand. Ookami was left with a brand new perspective of his leader. Ookami had his breakfast, and gathered his supplies for his trip to Suna.

"Hey, Deidara, are you ready yet?" asked Ookami.

"Just a second, eh? I want to be prepared for this guy. Time to get back at him for that long speech we had to sit through, eh," replied Deidara.

"Yeah, I have to admit, I wouldn't mind giving him a black eye for that one."

"Too late, hm."

Ookami chuckled at the comment, noting Gaara did always look like he was wearing eyeliner. The two completed their preparations, and made their way for Suna, via their clay birds.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask you about something, hm," spoke Deidara.

"What about?" asked Ookami.

"You said that you could summon wolves, eh? So why haven't you?"

"Oh, I don't summon them too often. They can get rather irritated if I don't summon them for a really good mission. I might have to on this one, though. I doubt they'll just let us take him away. I'll probably have to use my wolves to assist in my covering you. They love a good hunt. This should make for some good fun."

"I would tend to agree. Let's try to actually be stealthy for once, eh? It would be helpful."

The two continued on their approach. Ookami camped out near the border. He was looking for someone Sasori told him about. Deidara continued his reconnaissance of the village, looking to see into the strength of the guards around the village.

"Okay, so, where is that Yuura guy Sasori was bugging me about. Hmm... there he is..." mumbled Ookami. "Ah, so tell me, do you know who I'm here for?"

"You're with Akatsuki. I don't remember seeing you before," replied Yuura.

"I'm a new member. I take it you have taken care of the guards?"

"Hai! You should have no problems getting in."

"I'm standing before you; do you honestly think getting in was the problem?"

"No..."

"Good. Getting out is the trick. Keep this area clear, understood?"

"Hai!"

"What a weakling... I might have to kill him when this is over."

Ookami heard an explosion, just as night had fallen over the village.

"Damn it! I thought he said he was going to be stealthy about this. Oh well... I guess I better go save his worthless ass." Ookami mounted his bird, and made his way for the Kazekage's tower. He noticed that Gaara was in battle against Deidara. The former Iwa-nin was careful to avoid Gaara's sand based attacks. Gaara was riding a wave of sand, giving chase to him. He had wrapped up Deidara's arm with sand.

"I don't think so!!" shouted Ookami, as he slammed into Gaara, knocking him back onto the roof of his tower.

"Another one? Fine," spoke Gaara.

"Easy there, sand boy. I'm not here to fight you; I'm just here to make sure of two things: you don't kill him, he doesn't kill you. You're no good to us dead, after all. Just have fun, and no more trying to crush him, okay? Good," spoke Ookami, with a really cheesy grin on his face. Ookami pointed at the bird heading for Gaara. "Like I said, you don't have time to worry about me." Gaara stopped the bird with his sand, and continued his battle with Deidara.

"Gaara!" shouted a man, as he emerged from the tower.

"Oh great, more people crashing our party," muttered Ookami. He felt something behind him. He was grabbed by puppet.

"Good, Karasu, we got one of them," spoke the man.

"Ah, Sabaku no Kankuro, Kugutsu no Jutsu user. How fun," spoke Ookami. A smile crept across his face.

"What's so funny?" asked Kankuro.

"Kaken no Jutsu!" shouted Ookami. His fists were surrounded by fire. He used it to burn through Karasu's arms, and free himself. "You know these things are rather fragile. Oh well, Sasori's old puppets were pretty good, considering he made them so long ago.

"You know Akasuna no Sasori?" asked Kankuro.

"Yeah, he's in Akatsuki with us. He was originally supposed to come here, but since I joined, I took his place in this mission. Anyway, I'm really just here to make sure those two don't kill each other, and secure a way for us to escape. Also, I want this to be a fair fight. If any of you attempt to interfere with Deidara's fight... I'll kill you," replied Ookami.

At this point, Gaara, had almost trapped Deidara in a large sphere of sand. Deidara had managed to avoid it, only to be grabbed by an arm projecting from it. He was thrown around a bit, but he was able to make another bird to fly on, and resumed his attack. Deidara stood in front of Gaara, holding up a small clay figure. He made a hand seal, and the figure became statue sized.

"Wait... C3? He does know I'm down here... right?" muttered Ookami.

"C3?" asked Kankuro.

"Oh, uh... if he drops that, the whole village will go up in smoke. Nothing to worry about, right?" replied Ookami.

"He would kill you!" shouted Kankuro.

"Yeah... that kind of sucks... well, I've always wanted to go down down in flames!" replied Ookami.

"You're crazy!" shouted Kankuro.

"Yeah, isn't it great. Hey, you think they'll be able to recognize the bodies?" asked Ookami. "Oh, wait, doesn't look like you'll have enough time to answer."

The giant statue began falling towards the village.

"Katsu!" shouted Deidara, as a bright explosion filled the sky. However, before any harm could befall the village, and large amount of sand had blocked the explosion.

"Oh my, what a shame..." muttered Ookami.

"You knew that was going to happen, didn't you?" asked Kankuro.

"Well... no... but hey, I don't mind living a little longer, do you?" asked Ookami.

"You are crazy..." muttered Kankuro. Someone sneaked up on Ookami, and began making a cutting wind based attack. Ookami drank some more water with his hands, and fired a stream of fire.

"Careful, there, you might get burned. I would hate for you to lose your other eye, Ba-ki," spoke Ookami.

"You know who I am?" asked Baki.

"Yeah, we really research a place before we attack... uh oh, looks like your Kazekage lost. Hmm... he's using his last bit of chakra to move that sand out of the way. How kind. I don't feel like washing sand out of my hair when I get home," spoke Ookami. Gaara fell, and Deidara caught him. Several suna shinobi began firing arrows at Deidara.

"Oh, nice. Hey, if one of them hits Gaara, will he get a medal for killing the Shukaku?" asked Ookami.

"Hold you fire!" shouted Baki, "You might hit the Kazekage!"

"Well, it's been a fun time, gentlemen, but I have to leave now. Take care!" shouted Ookami, as he called his bird, and took off into the distance. He met up with Deidara at the gates of Suna.

"Looked like you had some fun out there!" shouted Ookami.

"Where were you, eh?" asked Deidara.

"Oh, here and there. I was checking in with the lackey, making sure he took care of everything," replied Ookami.

"And did he?"

"Well, he has one more thing to take care of. Ah, there's a pursuit squad. Katsu!" Ookami had his hand in the seal for detonating a bomb. He had turned Yuura into a bomb while he was talking with him. He used his proximity to the gate to destroy it.

"What was that, eh?" asked Deidara.

"I turned him into a bomb. He was a pansy anyway. Let's go!" With that, the two made their way for a nearby cave. They were instructed to use it as the chamber for the sealing. They didn't get far before someone caught up with them.

"Ah, it's our friend Kankuro. Let me guess, you want Gaara back, don't you. Too bad. Deidara, go on ahead, I'll take care of puppet boy!" shouted Ookami.

"Yeah, sure, just don't overdo it, eh?" spoke Deidara, as he continued along.

"Gaara!" shouted Kankuro, as he sent Karasu after Deidara's bird, which was holding Gaara. Ookami sent a small bird at it, and blew Karasu to bits.

"Now, now, you should spend your time in dealing with me. You couldn't handle us both at the same time," spoke Ookami. Kankuro pulled Karasu back together, and continued his attack. Ookami leaped out of the way, and threw a bomb towards Kankuro. The puppet user hid himself in another one of his puppets.

"Geez, you have a puppet for everything, don't you?" muttered Ookami. Karasu came in to attack Ookami again. He destroyed the puppet with his katana. He didn't realize Karasu was a distraction for Kankuro's second puppet. He was caught in the second puppet.

"You're trapped in Kuroari now. Prepare to die!" shouted Kankuro.

"Uh... this blows..." muttered Ookami, as he began channeling chakra into his katana. "Kenjutsu: Kaha!" Ookami broke free of Kuroari. He noticed that Kankuro was still hiding in his third puppet. He had his hands take in a large amount of clay, and began infusing it with his chakra. He continued to play with Kankuro's other puppets, as they continued to attack him, even though they were in pieces.

"My, persistent, aren't you? I'm amused, I'll give you that much, but I grow tired of playing!" shouted Ookami. He continued to dodge attacks. When his clay was ready, he molded it into the form of a wolf. When completed, it was about twice the size of Ookami. "Go get him!" The wolf ran at Kankuro. "Katsu!" The puppet was blown to pieces. Kankuro came rolling out of it. Ookami ran out, and stabbed Kankuro in the arm, pinning him.

"I'm tired of you. I've had my fun. If you want to live, then stay down... hmm?" Ookami saw one of Karasu's arms go after him. Ookami swatted it down, but not before it tore off a piece of his cloak. "I'm no longer amused. Do yourself a favor... stay down!" Ookami punched Kankuro in the face, knocking him out. He withdrew his katana, and caught up with Deidara.

"Took you long enough, eh," spoke Deidara.

"Those puppets were annoying. Even if Sasori warned us over and over again about how they worked, they were still annoying to deal with," replied Ookami. The two continued along. As they got out of the desert, Ookami realized something.

"Hey, Deidara. How do we know he's not going to snap back to life, and kill us before we get to the ritual chamber. Did you poison him or anything to make sure he wouldn't wake up?"

"I detonated a bomb in his face; he'll be out for a while, hm."

As if on cue, both Ookami and Deidara felt sand tugging on them.

"Sand? Didn't we just... oh shit..." muttered Ookami, as both he and Deidara were looking at a rather agitated Kazekage.

"Sabaku Kyuu!" shouted Gaara.

"This is going to hurt like Hell, isn't it?" asked Ookami.

"Hai, hm," replied Deidara.

"Geez... all of this trouble to remove that creature from him..." muttered Ookami.

"Wait, you're just going to remove the Shukaku?" asked Gaara.

"Yeah. It would kill you, though... of course, we could revive you afterwards," replied Ookami. Gaara appeared to think over his actions. After he thought the matter over, he let the sand around Deidara and Ookami drop.

"You're not going to try and kill us?" asked Ookami. _"Damn, just when I was about to have fun with the wolf pack."_

"Do you have any idea how long I've wanted someone to get this damn thing out of me!? Hell, if it kills me, I could live with that," replied Gaara.

"Uh... if it killed you, you'd be dead, eh," spoke Deidara.

"Look, you two dumb asses promise to revive me, and I let you do whatever you want with that damn tanuki!" shouted Gaara.

"Uh... okay, sure. I can use you to practice for Uzumaki..." muttered Ookami.

"Uzumaki Naruto?" asked Gaara.

"Yeah, I promised I would bring him back to life after we took the Kyubi out of him. How nice of me, right?" spoke Ookami.

Gaara didn't say anything. The group of three continued walking along to the ritual chamber.

"Hey, Deidara, why didn't we just fly here?" asked Ookami.

"Would make it too easy to find us, hm," replied Deidara.

"Oh... I knew that," replied Ookami, as the group approached the ritual chamber. Deidara lifted the rock and barrier in front of it for the group to pass. The projection of Pein was waiting for them.

"Hey, Leader-sama! We got him!" shouted Ookami. Pein didn't say anything.

"Leader-sama, hm!" shouted Deidara. Still nothing.

"He fell asleep..." muttered both Ookami and Deidara in unison.

Pein finally woke up, and noticed the group had made it.

"Good, you have the jinchuuriki... wait, why is he awake?" asked Pein.

"He apparently doesn't like having the Shukaku inside of him. He says as long as we revive him, we can do whatever we want with the ichibi," explained Ookami.

"Fine. One word of caution for you, jinchuuriki. This is going to hurt like Hell," spoke Pein, as he began making hand seals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" The large statue Pein had been constructing appeared. It had the form of a chained demon with two large hands. "Assemble!" The fingers of the statue were occupied by the other members. "Your position corresponds to the position of your ring."

"Makes sense," spoke Ookami, and he leaped up onto the left pinky finger. Deidara followed suit, landing on the right index finger. Pein hopped on the right thumb.

"Jinchuuriki!" shouted Pein.

"At least address me by my name!" shouted Gaara.

"Fine, Gaara, walk over to the spot between the two hands. We'll take care of the rest," instructed Pein, "this is going to take about three days. Focus on the jutsu. The more you concentrate, the quicker this will take. Zetsu, keep an eye around the area. Use your longest range."

"Hai," replied Zetsu.

Pein began making hand seals. "Fuuin Jutsu: Genryuu Kyuu Fuujin!" Everyone began to concentrate on the jutsu, as the bit holding the statue's mouth closed fell out, and the statue opened its mouth. Nine dragon like entities streamed out of its mouth, and picked up Gaara. They began extracting the Shukaku. Gaara ended up passing out from the intensity of the technique. Just as stated, it took three days to complete the technique. Zetsu had sent Itachi and Kisame to deal with a couple groups from Konoha that had made their way to stop the ritual. They were unable to stop them from finishing the ritual. Pein and the others left. Deidara and Ookami decided to wait for one of the Konoha-nin to show up. Sure enough, Team Kakashi burst on through. Deidara and Ookami were waiting for them.

"Deidara, respect the dead! Stop using him like a cushion!" shouted Ookami.

"Fine, hm," muttered Deidara, as he stood up.

"Hey guys, what's up?" asked Ookami.

"You killed Gaara! You lying bastards!" shouted Naruto, as he went charging in. Ookami put his hand on the blonds head, as he tried to punch Ookami.

"Kid, calm down. You know I told you we have to revive him. It means death to a jinchuuriki to remove the bijuu. Anyway, the more we have, the easier it is. Now, if you want to see him alive again, calm your ass down, and have a seat. You might as well get your friends to help, too!" shouted Ookami. Naruto calmed down. Sakura, Sai, and Kakashi joined with the group.

"So, what do we do?" asked Kakashi.

"Put your hands on top of mine. Just focus your life force energy. You'll feel a little tired after this, but it's the only way. Now then... Tensei no Jutsu!" shouted Ookami. The life force of everyone began pouring into Gaara's body. After several minutes, the Kazekage was revived. He got himself up, and looked around.

"Uh... Uzumaki..." muttered Gaara.

"See, told you," spoke Ookami, "Take it easy, Gaara. You were kind of dead a few seconds ago."

"Hmm... it's gone... finally, that damn tanuki is gone!" shouted Gaara. He ended up hugging Ookami. The sight was rather disturbing to all present. Once Gaara realized what he was doing, he stopped.

"That didn't happen," spoke Gaara.

"Agreed," replied Ookami.

"I wonder..." Gaara started moving sand around, "Good, still have it. Now, Uzumaki..."

"Just Naruto," spoke the blond.

"Fine, Naruto, throw a kunai at me."

"Why?" asked Naruto.

"Just do it... but don't aim at anything important," spoke Gaara. Naruto did as he was told. The kunai got stuck in Gaara's arm. "No more shield of sand... I can live without it."

Sakura healed Gaara's wound.

"Uh, Ookami, I have a question for you... can you two stop the trap Gai's Team sprung when they broke the barrier?" asked Kakashi.

"Uh... no... but if they're strong, they'll find a way around it..."

"Dainamikku Entorii!" came a voice interrupting Ookami.

"Oh, speak of the devil... wait... geez... that guy is a ninja?" spoke Ookami.

"What's going on Kakashi? Why aren't you guys fighting?" asked Gai.

"We kind of called a truce. See, Gaara is okay. So, if you don't mind, get your spandex clad ass out of our cave! You're freaking out Deidara!" shouted Ookami. Deidara was in a blank stare.

"How unyouthful..." muttered Gai.

Everyone went their separate ways. Ookami asked Naruto to say "hi" to Hinata for him. The two made their way back to Amegakure.

"About time you two got back here," spoke Pein. Deidara and Ookami were in his office.

"Had to take care of a couple things. I made one of the Konoha teams help me revive the Kazekage," spoke Ookami.

"I see. Well, that takes care of one. Only eight more to go. Nice work, gentlemen," spoke Pein, "Dismissed."

"Well, I think it's time to grab an ice cold one, how about you, eh?" asked Deidara.

"I couldn't agree with you more!" shouted Ookami. The two grabbed a couple beers out of the fridge, and joined Itachi on the couch.

"Hey, Itachi, got a couple of those skin flicks on hand?" asked Ookami.

"Nothing like beer and porn to celebrate a mission accomplished, right, eh?" asked Deidara.

"Yeah... sure, pick out one," replied Itachi.

"Hmm... lets see... wait... Chicks with Dicks?" spoke Ookami. Everyone in the room stared at Itachi.

"I was drunk that night. Make an issue of it, and you'll be watching if for seventy-two hours," spoke Itachi. There was silence after that. Ookami and Deidara finally settled on a couple movies, and spent the night watching them, while cleaning out the beer.


	6. Sleepless Nights

_Disclaimer: I don't make a profit from these stories_

_A/N: I know this isn't my serious story, but I would like some more reviews all the same_

**Chapter 6: Sleepless Nights**

It had been a long night for the trio of Itachi, Deidara, and Ookami. The three spent the entire night watching skin flicks and drinking beer. They ended up passing out on the couch. The next morning, Zetsu found the trio.

"Wow... this is priceless..." muttered Zetsu. He quietly grabbed a camera, and took a picture of the three. Itachi was in the middle, with Deidara and Ookami slumped over on top of him. There were beer cans and bottles littering the floor around them. The flashing of the camera woke up the group.

"Uh... I have such a headache... hm..." muttered Deidara.

"That's it... I'm not letting you two celebrate with me again..." muttered Itachi.

"Man, I'm so glad I don't get hangovers!" shouted Ookami.

"What makes you so lucky, eh?" asked Deidara.

"I dunno. I've been like that since I started drinking. I don't even experience any weird effects, though I do have trouble walking a straight line. But hey, at least I never have to worry about waking up next to some strange woman after I've been drinking," replied Ookami.

"Ah... I know how that goes... woke up next to some fat chick one morning... thought she was one of hot ladies I used to work with on the Konoha ANBU," spoke Itachi.

"Were you at least good in bed that night?" asked Ookami.

"I was her first. She used my drunken state to take advantage of me," spoke Itachi.

"I sure hope she wasn't your first," replied Ookami.

"Of course not... uh... I'm going to get some coffee going... extra strong..." mumbled Itachi, as he walked off into the kitchen.

"Make plenty! It's going to take a lot to work this one off, hm!" shouted Deidara.

"Well, while we're on the topic, what's the worst thing that happened to you when you were drunk?" asked Ookami.

"The same as for everyone else in our little group... woke up next to Orochimaru. Fortunately, it took so much booze that get us that wasted that nothing ever happened. Thank Kami, hm," replied Deidara.

"That's... disturbing..." muttered Ookami.

"Sasori is the only one who has never run into that problem. He holds his liquor as well as you do, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Well, he is a puppet. I pretty sure that has something to do with it," spoke Ookami.

"Oh, no, he can't eat or drink in his puppet bodies. He keeps his original body for things like that, hm," replied Deidara.

"Wait... I thought he turned his own body into a puppet," spoke Ookami.

"Nah, that was a clone. The one thing Orochimaru was good for was making perfect clones and stuff of that nature, hm. That's one of the reasons we kept him around for so long, even though he had those awful tendencies," replied Deidara.

"You mean him being gay and trying to sleep with all of you?" asked Ookami.

"Would you believe he's bi, eh? I used to think he was gay until he started hitting on Konan," replied Deidara.

"Is that why you guys kicked him out?" asked Ookami.

"Nah; it was when he tried to steal Itachi's eyes. That was the straw that broke the horses back, hm," replied Deidara.

"Alright, the coffee is ready!" shouted Itachi. He had himself a mug ready. Deidara was quick to join him. Ookami walked out to make himself some green tea. Zetsu was busy taking the pictures off of his camera, laughing to himself the entire time. Around the time the group in the kitchen were finished with their hangover curing breakfast, Hidan and Kakuzu appeared. Both were dressed in their uniforms.

"So, you guys are going after the Nibi now?" asked Ookami.

"Why wait? Time is money," replied Kakuzu.

"You make everything about fucking money, don't you? I say the sooner the better because Jashin hates it when people waste time that could be used on serving him," replied Hidan.

"Oh... fair enough," spoke Ookami.

"Careful, don't rile those two up. If they start fighting, we're going to blame you," spoke Itachi.

"Hey, Ookami. I know I told you I would let you off of helping me with my rituals, but since is a special occasion, you mind helping out?" asked Hidan.

"Yeah, sure, why not. I don't mind. It's for the success of your mission," replied Ookami.

"Fuck you and your damn rituals, we have things we need to do. I was going to cash in on a bounty on our way to Kumo!" shouted Kakuzu, "We don't have time to waste on this ritual bullshit!"

"I knew it! You were in a rush because of one of your fucking bounty hunts!" shouted Hidan.

At that point, Hidan and Kakuzu started arguing back and forth. Hidan was arguing for why his rituals were important, while Kakuzu was stating the importance of money to Akatsuki. Ookami just stared at the two.

"There they go again, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Uh... yeah... whenever, Hidan," spoke Ookami.

At this point, Pein and Konan were up. They quickly broke up Hidan and Kakuzu's fight. How their words get to them is a mystery, seeing as Hidan wouldn't care about getting his arm ripped off, and Kakuzu's limbs detach anyway.

"Now then, since you have enough energy to argue so loudly, why don't you put that to better use, and go grab me another bijuu?" asked Pein.

"Hai, Leader-sama!" shouted Hidan and Kakuzu in unison. The two were out the door with no more arguments.

"Wow... how did you do that?" asked Ookami.

"Well, you see, those used to think they were invincible... that is, until I found the one thing I can use against them. It did wonders for them. They have listened to me ever since," replied Pein.

"And that was?" asked Ookami.

"Me," spoke Itachi, "Those two got to experience three days of their worst fears. For Hidan, it was three days of living in a world without Jashin. He was scared to bleed himself for a week. For Kakuzu, he got to experience life as a poor man. He spent the rest of that week telling us how thankful he was for all of the little things in life."

"Huh... I guess that makes you the man to see for unorthodox solutions to problems," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah... though, I'm still trying to get over that time Leader-sama needed a male stripper," spoke Itachi, while staring at Pein.

"Please tell me that wasn't what you guys did to recruit Orochimaru," spoke Ookami.

"Nah; entertainment for Konan. Leader-sama didn't want to spring for a professional, so he asked Itachi instead, hm," replied Deidara.

"Why did you do that?" asked Ookami.

"Fifth anniversary," replied Pein.

"Wait, you two are married," asked Ookami.

"Yeah, we even let Hidan be the minister. He was rather appreciative of the fact," replied Pein.

"Oh... makes sense. Huh..." muttered Ookami.

"Well, since we don't have to go out and grab anyone until those two come back, wanna go out and have some more target practice, eh?" asked Deidara.

"Maybe tomorrow. I know those two won't be back that quickly, and I was kind of hoping to go and see Hinata. I tell you what, if I go, and find that she is out on a mission, I'll come back here, and we can spend the rest of the day training. Is that fair?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, sure," replied Deidara. He took off to the training grounds to practice on his own. He still hadn't really gotten the hang of using Ookami's style of Kenjutsu. Ookami gathered his things, and took off for Hi no Kuni. He arrived at the Hyuga house in Konoha. He had to be careful not to be caught by ANBU. Even though Akatsuki's stance with Konoha was officially neutral, the fact remains that Akatsuki is still a group of S-ranked criminals in the Bingo Books of all the allied nations. He ended up running into the head of the Hyuga family.

"Who are you? I've never seen you before. Why are you here?" asked Hiashi.

"Um... I was here to... uh..." stuttered Ookami.

"Wait... I recognize who you are. You're Ookami, former shinobi of Kirigakure. Now a member of Akatsuki," spoke Hiashi, as he took a fighting stance.

"Ookami! Oh, uh... tou-san..." muttered Hinata.

"You know my daughter?" asked Hiashi.

"I'm dating your daughter," replied Ookami.

Hiashi paused, and looked back and forth between Ookami and Hinata. He took a thinking position, and appeared to be in deep thought for a couple moments. He then stopped, and walked over to Ookami.

"Personally, I'd rather she be interested in you than Uzumaki," whispered Hiashi into Ookami's ear. He walked off, acting like he didn't just run into a member of Akatsuki.

"What did he say?" asked Hinata.

"Well... I guess that was his way of giving us his blessing," replied Ookami. He made a clay dragon for the two to ride on, and they took off.

"Hey, wanna see our hideout? I'm sure everyone won't mind. You kind of have to promise that you won't tell anyone, though," spoke Ookami.

"I'd love to. Don't worry, I won't tell. Besides, we already know that you are based in Amegakure. Since we're neutral to you, we haven't tried to invade," replied Hinata.

"Oh joy... Pein isn't going to be too happy to hear about that..." muttered Ookami, as the two made their way for Amegakure. When Ookami and Hinata arrived, they found Pein and Konan having lunch with Zetsu, Tobi, and Sasori.

"So, I take it the Zombie Twins haven't returned yet, have they?" asked Ookami.

"I don't expect to see them again for a few days. Given Hidan's need for prayer, and Kakuzu's need to collect bounties, what would take a couple days could take them a week. Who is that?" asked Pein.

"This is Hinata. Hinata, that is our Leader. The lady next to him is his wife, Konan. The plant guy is Zetsu. The shorter guy with red hair is Sasori, and..."

"I'm Tobi!"

"Yeah... mask boy is Tobi," spoke Ookami.

"Tobi likes meeting new people!"

"Tobi, please try to behave yourself..." muttered Ookami.

"Where is your partner?" asked Hinata.

"Oh, you mean Deidara? He's out training. We can go join him if you want. I figured we could hang out here for a little while. You can get to know everyone," spoke Ookami, " Unless you have a problem with this, Leader-sama."

"No, I don't mind. We're on decent terms with Konoha right now. It's not like she could cause a ruckus around here or anything. And I doubt she would try to arrest us, or something like that," replied Pein.

At that moment, Itachi and Kisame entered the room. The two walked into the kitchen to make their lunch.

"Oh, that's Itachi and Kisame. I think they've been to your village before. I know Itachi was once one of your shinobi, until he killed off his whole clan, except for his little brother. Did I get that right?" asked Ookami.

"Hai. I rather enjoyed that night. He he... foolish little brother," muttered Itachi.

"I know he seems a little crazy, but he's an interesting guy. Fun to party with, and he's a good drinking buddy," spoke Ookami.

"Oh," replied Hinata.

"He, we're making some subs. You guys want any?" asked Kisame.

"Sure, why not?" spoke Ookami.

"Okay," spoke Hinata.

"Don't worry, you don't have to be so shy around everyone. I know we're all near heartless killers and what not, but we're all people, too. We only kill people we don't like. I love you, and no one would hurt anyone I love. Even if we somehow ended up going to war with Konoha, right?" asked Ookami.

"He's right, pretty much. I mean, I'm not about to make any guarantees on sparing anyone's life in a conflict, but we would try not to hurt you," spoke Konan.

"No worries!" shouted Tobi.

Kisame and Itachi made up subs for each other and Ookami and Hinata. Kisame got the idea after walking by one of the sandwich shops in Amegakure. He didn't want to pay their prices for something they could easily make at home. That, and Kisame thought he could do better than some kids who were just trying to make a buck, because they couldn't do anything else right. The group had lunch together. Together, they talked about various things. Sasori was happy about not having to listen to Hidan and Kakuzu having another religion versus money argument. Pein was glad things were going so well with getting all the bijuu together. He didn't go into detail about what he was going to do with them, though. Couldn't let an outsider know about everything, after all. Hinata told the group about how life was in Konoha. She talked about how things were down after Orochimaru tried to invade. Ookami remembered fighting off several of Orochimaru's Oto-nin in an attempt to get to him. Itachi seemed quite interested in hearing about how things were going in his old village. He wouldn't admit it, but he didn't hate everything about his old home. There were some things he liked, and some people. Mainly a certain kunoichi who used to be with him in the ANBU. Of course, Hinata didn't know anything about ANBU members. Hinata talked about how things had settled within her clan house; the main and branch houses were at ease with each other for the first time in years, thanks to Neji and Hiashi getting along so well. Kisame and Ookami talked about good times they had in Kirigakure before they left it. They ended up having dinner together, as well. Before everyone knew it, it had already gotten late. Ookami offered to let Hinata spend the night with the group, instead of trying to get her back to Konoha at such a late hour. Ookami invited Hinata to his room, and the two shared Ookami's bed. It was more than large enough to accommodate the two of them. Ookami, being the gentleman he was, didn't try to do anything with Hinata, and even opted to let Hinata use his bathroom to change. She borrowed one of Ookami's shirts to use to sleep in. Hinata came out with Ookami's shirt, and her undergarments.

"Oh... I though you would have kept your pants on..." spoke Ookami, blushing a little.

"I don't mind," replied Hinata, blushing herself, "just remember that I'm a lady, okay?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. I wouldn't dream of doing anything... that a gentleman wouldn't do," replied Ookami, with a smile. Ookami was only in his boxers. Hinata noticed the marks on Ookami's left arm. She sat down next to Ookami, and held up his arm.

"What is this?" asked Hinata, "Some kind of tattoo?"

"This? It's the wolf summoning contract. I don't summon them too often; only when I really need to. I'm friends with some of them. They're quite the aggressive bunch. They love a good fight," replied Ookami.

"Oh, I see," spoke Hinata.

"Hey, maybe one of these, when we've been together for a little longer, I'll see if they will allow you to bear their summoning contract," spoke Ookami.

"I would like that," replied Hinata.

"It would be my way of making sure you were always safe," spoke Ookami.

The two covered themselves in Ookami's blanket, and fell fast asleep. However, their peaceful rest didn't last as long as they would have it wanted to.

"Uh... what is that noise..." muttered Ookami.

"It sounds like... two people are..." Hinata started blushing.

"Can you see what it is? You have that doujutsu that let's you see through walls and stuff, right?" asked Ookami.

"Hai. Byakugan!" Hinata used her ability to look into the guest room. It was across from Ookami's room, and next to Zetsu's. It was supposed to be the room Tobi was using.

"So, what's going on? Is Tobi being loud again?" asked Ookami.

"He's uh..." Hinata started blushing.

"Eh?" asked Ookami. Hinata didn't say anything.

"I'm going to go over there and tell him to be quiet," spoke Ookami.

"Um... uh... be gentle..." stuttered Hinata. This only made Ookami more curious as to what it was that Tobi was doing. Of course, Ookami had no intention of being gentle with Tobi. He kicked Tobi's door open.

"Tobi! What the fuck are you doing at four in the fucking morning!?" shouted Ookami. There were two things he noticed quite quickly. One, Tobi was with a girl. Two, Tobi _didn't_ have his mask on. Three, Tobi looked rather familiar, as did the girl.

"Kuro? Mizukage-sama?" asked Ookami.

"Uh... I can explain..." replied Tobi with a different voice.

"Why didn't you tell me he was here?" spoke Kuro, a girl with long, black hair, and light, cream colored skin.

"You two have a history?" asked Tobi.

"She was my last girlfriend. We broke up shortly before I left Kiri. Funny... in my wildest dreams, I never saw this scenario taking place. So... uh... who else knows who you really are? And how the Hell do you pull off Tobi?" asked Ookami.

"Pein, Konan, Zetsu, and Itachi. And it stays that way. If you think Pein's threats are bad, understand that the worst he could do you, I could do worse, ten fold," replied Tobi.

"Okay, sure. Well, I don't suppose I can call you Madara now?" asked Ookami.

"I'm the founder and true leader of Akatsuki. I'm not your buddy, after all. If it weren't for that allied village you wiped out when you became a missing-nin, I wouldn't even know who you are," replied Madara.

"Hai, Madara-sama..." muttered Ookami.

"Well, this is all fun and good, but do you mind? Really? We were having a moment!" shouted Kuro.

"Geez, alright. Damn... it's bad enough you broke up with me because I wouldn't have sex with you... but finding you here with Madara-sama of all people..." muttered Ookami.

"Leave!" shouted Madara.

Ookami quickly left, and returned to his own room.

"Hinata... next time... just tell me... I saw things in there... things I still don't believe..." muttered Ookami, looking slightly traumatized. Hinata and Ookami got back to sleep, after the "fun" taking place across from them had finally ended... around six. Ookami shut his alarm off, allowing him and Hinata to get some more sleep. The two didn't get out of bed until close to noon.

"Ah, there you are. I trust you two had a restful night?" spoke Zetsu.

"How? How Zetsu!? How do you sleep through the things he does!?" shouted Ookami.

"I'm a heavy sleeper. I've slept through tornadoes before," replied Zetsu.

"Oh... fair enough," replied Ookami.

"Ookami, can I see you in my office. Please bring Hinata with you," spoke Pein.

"Oh joy..." muttered Ookami. Hinata and Ookami found themselves face to face with Pein, Konan, and Tobi. Pein had Ookami lock the door. He put up a sound barrier around the office.

"So, Ookami, I heard you fell into some interesting information last night," spoke Pein.

"Hai, Leader-sama," replied Ookami.

"And I take it you saw as well?" asked Pein. Hinata nodded.

"Well, now that you know my little secret, allow me to remind you that you tell no one. Especially you," spoke Madara, pointing at Hinata.

"Hai..." mumbled Hinata.

"Relax, I'm not going to kill you or anything. I mean, sure, I sent the kyuubi to attack your village and all, but it's not like I have a grudge against you personally. I don't have any quips with the Hyuga clan. Just the Senju clan, and the Uchiha clan. Of course, Itachi was kind enough to take care of the Uchiha for me, excepting one. The the Senju clan is more of a memory these days. The current heir to their clan being your Hokage. But I don't intend to strike Konoha in the near future, so relax," spoke Madara.

"Who are you?" asked Hinata.

"You mean you don't recognize me? How about now?" asked Madara. He removed his mask to reveal his face. He had a Sharingan in his right eye. His left eye looked like a void; it was entirely black. As if it had rotted while still a part of him. "I cut my hair a while ago, but I'm the same, more or less."

"Uchiha Madara... founder of the Uchiha clan? Aren't you..." stuttered Hinata.

"I'm old, not dead. Everyone thinks I died when I fought Hashirama, your Shodaime Hokage. But I can assure you, I'm alive and well. Hell, even Kakuzu fought him once, and lived to tell the tale," spoke Madara, as he placed his mask back on.

"What happened to your left eye?" asked Ookami.

"You wouldn't understand. Itachi is the only person I've told. It's really not of your concern," replied Ookami.

"Fair enough. Is that all you wanted to discuss?" asked Ookami.

"That's it. Keep quiet on this matter. That's all," replied Pein.

"Well, there is one more thing. What time did Kuro leave last night?" asked Ookami.

"Oh, around seven or so. You know, you should have given in to her. She's wild in bed," replied Madara.

Ookami said nothing as he and Hinata left Pein's office.

"Oh, Ookami, hm. What was that all about?" asked Deidara.

"Nothing, really. Just some tips on relationships," replied Ookami.

"Tobi was in there, though, hm," replied Diedara.

"He just had to be in there with us. He was rather loud and annoying... yeah... he thinks he knows everything about women..." muttered Ookami.

"I swear, he picked that up from Orochimaru, hm. He always thought he was Kami's gift to women because of that tongue," replied Deidara.

"And we're done with this conversation," spoke Ookami. He prepared some breakfast/lunch for himself and Hinata. Ookami remembered that he promised Deidara that the two of them were going to train that day. Ookami asked Hinata if she was interested in joining the two. She thought it would be interesting to see how the two of them fought together. Ookami thought up an interesting test of his abilities.

"So, Ookami-kun, what's the apple for?" asked Hinata.

"Well, that depends. Do you trust me?" asked Ookami.

"Well... I don't think you would ever do anything to hurt me, and I do like you a lot... but what does have to do with the apple?" asked Hinata.

"I'm going to snipe it off of your head. Don't worry; my aim is really good, right Deidara?" asked Ookami.

"You have nothing to worry about, hm. His aim is better than mine. You should have seen him the last time we trained together, hm," replied Deidara.

"O... Okay, Ookami-kun," replied Hinata. The group found a training field just outside of Amegakure. Ookami asked Hinata to stand at one end, and place the apple on her head. He told her that he would be very careful not to bring any harm to her. Hinata hesitantly agreed, and stood by. Deidara was nearby; if Ookami missed, he would pull her out of the way.

"Ready!?" shouted Ookami.

"She's ready!" shouted Deidara.

"Alright... time to show off what my Sogekigan can really do," Ookami said to himself. He activated his Sogekigan, and made a small clay explosive. He molded it into a small bird, held his arm out, and sent it towards Hinata. The bird hit the apple dead center, and exploded on the ground behind Hinata. Ookami walked over to inspect his work.

"See, what'd I tell you," spoke Ookami, and smile on his face.

"That was impressive, Ookami-kun. The members of my clan can do that, but only within a set range," replied Hinata.

"Really? I could try to hit precise points at close range, but the point of having these eyes are so I can act more efficiently at a distance. I prefer to use my personal kenjutsu style in the event I have to engage in close combat. If I find myself without my katana, I can use my taijutsu style as well," explained Ookami.

"Taijutsu? Our clan specializes in our own style of taijutsu. Would you be willing to train with me? I'm curious to see what your style is like," spoke Hinata.

"Hmm... it's kind of hard to use my style without hurting someone. The best part of my style is that a near miss is also harmful to my opponent," replied Ookami.

"Oh, same with ours. I'm interested in the form," answered Hinata.

"Ah, I see. Well, you don't mind if I train with Hinata for a little while, do you Deidara?" asked Ookami.

"I don't mind; I'll use the time to brush up on my kenjutsu, hm. Let me know when you two are finished. I'll set up the practice targets for our explosive training," replied Deidara.

Hinata and Ookami took their fighting style. Their forms were similar to a certain degree. Ookami took a more aggressive form, as his taijutsu used both physical strength and chakra. The two commenced their practice fight. Hinata's agility allowed her to get in past Ookami's attacks. She was able to land a couple hits on Ookami. In response, Ookami adjusted is form, and increased his speed. At that point, the two were matched up with one another. Deidara paused from his practice to watch to the two. He noted how "serious" they were getting. It was nearing the point where the urge of the two to use the full power of their styles was biting at them. It didn't take long for Hinata to start using chakra with her attacks, quickly followed by Ookami taking in water into his hands to us his Kaken taijutsu. Ookami's fire and Hinata's chakra appeared to splash with one another. Neither of the two appeared to have an advantage over the other. It became a fight of endurance. Deidara was mesmerized by the artful display of fire hitting raw chakra. Their fight continued throughout the day. Before they knew it, the sun was setting, and both were exhausted. Throughout the course of the fight, neither one had landed a solid hit on the other. Deidara started clapping.

"That was quite artistic, hm. I haven't witnessed such an artistic fight in quite sometime!" shouted Deidara.

"I didn't really give much thought into how serious I was taking it... it just happened..." replied Ookami.

"It's as if my body just took over..." spoke Hinata.

"It seems it's getting late again. Let's head back for dinner, eh?" asked Deidara.

Ookami and Hinata nodded in agreement. Both were rather hungry after their little fight. Sasori was cooking dinner that night. He made his Desert Rib Roast. The seasonings he used made it seem as if the roast was covered like the desert itself.

"Wow, Sasori, I didn't know you could cook this well!" shouted Ookami with excitement.

"Danna is a master chef, hm. It's the only fleeting art he partakes in," replied Deidara.

"Tobi likes Sasori's food!"

"_How in the world does he do that. Seriously, how!?" _Ookami thought to himself, _"And this is the guy who took my last girlfriend. Does she see him like this!?"_

The group enjoyed Sasori's meal. Kisame volunteered to clean up. The Akatsuki members stayed up a little longer, talking about random things before heading for bed. Before Ookami went to sleep, he had one question on his mind for Pein.

"Pein?" asked Ookami.

"What is it?" replied Pein.

"Are there any other secrets about our little organization I should know about?"

"Hmm... well, we have a long standing bet about Deidara's gender. We've never seen him with a girl before, and he does look like quite the girl. Kakuzu thinks he's faking the voice, so he started a little betting pool. You want in?"

"Sure, why not. I'll put in a hundred bucks that he's a guy."

"Alright, I'll be sure to let Kakuzu know when he and Hidan return."

"Great, goodnight Pein."

Ookami headed off to his room. Hinata was already lying on the bed.

"Mind if I join you?" asked Ookami.

"Sure, Ookami-kun," replied Hinata. The two cuddled a little, and drifted off to sleep. A few hours later, they were shaken from an otherwise peaceful rest.

"Say Tobi is a good boy!!" shouted a female voice.

"Tobi is a good boy!!"

"Now say he's being a bad boy!!"

"Tobi is a very bad boy!!"

"For the love of Kami!!" shouted Ookami. He and Hinata pulled pillows over their heads, and tried to get back to sleep.

_A/N: Yep, it's that time again. Time to explain the meaning behind a character's name, this time Kuro. Her name can be spelled as __黒__, which means black. It's related to her appearance, rather than her abilities or personality, as it has been with my other characters._


	7. The Bet is Settled

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, if I did, I'd have run it into the ground a long time ago_

**Chapter 7: The Bet is Settled**

"Leader-sama, we have the Nibi Jinchuuriki. We are ready to begin the ritual," spoke Hidan.

"It took you a week. Why so long? Was the jinchuuriki that much of a challenge?" asked Pein.

"Fucking bounty hunts, Leader-sama," replied Hidan.

"Those bounties are what give us money!" shouted Kakuzu.

"Silence!! Kakuzu, your dedication to your self assigned position as treasurer is admirable, but remember that securing the bijuu takes top priority," spoke Pein.

"Hai, Leader-sama," replied Kakuzu.

"Now then, Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" shouted Pein, as he summoned the statue.

"Assemble!" The illusions of the other members appeared. Hidan and Kakuzu took their places.

"The ritual will take three days and three nights, just like last time. Zetsu, keep an eye out for those approaching the area," commanded Pein.

"She wasn't nearly as protected as that Kazekage. It's as if she was sent to her death!" shouted Hidan.

"That's a shame. Doesn't hurt to keep our guard up all the same, though. For all we know, they're following her in an attempt to find us," spoke Ookami.

"Ookami is right. Keep your guard up," spoke Pein.

The members of Akatsuki completed the ritual. In the three days and nights it took to complete, no one challenged them in what they were doing. At the end of the ritual, the body of Nii Yugito fell to the ground. Pein dismissed the other members to speak with Hidan and Kakuzu.

"You're orders are to dispose of the body, check the surrounding area to make sure no one has pursued you to this point, and then return directly to our base. Is that understood?" asked Pein.

"Hai, Leader-sama," replied Hidan and Kakuzu in unison.

"Very well, remember to return directly. No bounty hunts, and no rituals!" shouted Pein before he disappeared.

"He just doesn't understand the importance of my prayers!" shouted Hidan.

"Nor does he understand how important money is to our organization," spoke Kakuzu.

"Shut up about the fucking money thing already! That's all you talk about is money. Hell, you say money as often as Deidara makes that 'hm' noise!" shouted Hidan.

"Oh, and all you ever do is talk about how great Jashin is. I don't give a fuck, and no one else does either! Haven't you noticed that you're the only Jashinist around!?" shouted Kakuzu.

The two continued their argument, until they were interrupted by the stone blocking the entrance to the cave they were in being lifted.

"Who could that be? Only members should be able to get past the barrier like that! Hidan, get back! Looks like that bitch was followed!" shouted Kakuzu.

Hidan nodded in agreement, and ducked back. Two people entered the cave.

"Hey, Hidan, Kakuzu! Where are you!?" shouted Ookami.

"Are you trying to hide or something, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Ookami? Deidara? What the fuck are you two doing here?" asked Hidan.

"Well, we were in the area, and thought you guys could use a little help," replied Ookami.

"Yeah, we already took a look around the area, and we thought we would help you with disposing of the body, hm," replied Deidara.

"Oh? How thoughtful..." muttered Kakuzu.

"You can use the extra time to pray or collect a bounty!" shouted Ookami.

"Well, can't pass up an opportunity like that. Let's go Hidan! There's an S-Rank bounty to be collected not too far from here!" shouted Kakuzu.

"Oh joy..." muttered Hidan.

The two ran off, leaving the body of Yugito behind. Deidara and Ookami walked up to the body.

"So, you saw her and fell for her just like that? That's a bit... out there..." spoke Ookami.

"When you see a work of art like her, it just clicks, hm," replied Deidara.

"Fair enough. I suppose it was kind of like that when I saw Hinata. So, just how do you plan to pull this off? It's not like you saved her from dying, or anything. Hell, you helped out."

"I'll think of something. I'm sure we'll have plenty in common, hm."

"Right, well, where do you plan on doing this?"

"We'll use my room. We'll have to tie her down to make sure she doesn't try to leave, or anything, hm."

"And when she comes to, you'll act like you saved her, and she'll magically fall in love with you, right?"

"You think so?"

"I was being sarcastic, Deidara."

"It could happen. It's not like she could tell who we were. Those illusions are rather hard to read, hm. And she was unconscious, anyway."

"I really don't think she's going to be happy to see you when she gets up."

"I'll just use my charm, hm."

"Right... and if she doesn't end up liking you, then what are you going to do? Throw her in a dungeon? Feed her to Zetsu? It would be hard to let her free once she found out who we were."

"I was going to let her go, but you have a point, hm. Well... I'm not feeding her to that plant freak."

"Uh... well, let's get going before we're missed."

The two Akatsuki members made their clay birds. Deidara placed Yugito's body onto his. Both of them made speed back to the hideout. They returned through the window in Deidara's room. Before the two left, they told Pein they were going to do some research, and requested not to be disturbed unless they were needed. They set up a trap so they would know if someone entered the room while they were gone. They found that no one even checked up on them to see what they were up to.

"Well, that was easy. I guess they must trust you not to up and leave on them," spoke Ookami.

"Nah, if we stayed in here for too long, they would start to suspect something. On that note, we should probably go and eat lunch. I'm not about to explain a body sitting in our room, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Alright. Just let me use that preservation jutsu. Don't want your girlfriend to rot, do you?"

Ookami performed the jutsu, and left with Deidara for the kitchen. Pein and Konan were sitting at the table having some pizza. Everyone else appeared to have gone out for lunch.

"Hey, is there any there for us?" asked Ookami.

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure. Help yourself," replied Konan.

Ookami and Deidara joined Konan and Pein at the lunch table. Ookami made himself some tea to go with it.

"How goes the research?" asked Pein.

"Hm? Oh, no big breakthroughs, yet," replied Ookami.

"What are you two looking up, anyway?" asked Konan.

"Um... uh... hm..." spoke Deidara.

"Uh... fuuin jutsu," replied Ookami.

"If you're going to lie, at least be a little more convincing. You two aren't trying to hide something from me, are you?" asked Pein.

"Of course not Leader-sama, hm!" shouted Deidara.

"Then what is it that you are really doing in there? Lie again, and I'll rip your arm off," spoke Pein.

"Um... uh..." replied Deidara.

"Deidara? Come on, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Okay, we're actually looking up ways to court women. I gave Deidara some tips from my relationship with Hinata, but he wanted to consult some other places of information," replied Ookami.

"Oh... I see..." muttered Pein.

"You should ask me. I would be the best source available to you. Who else could tell you what women like?" asked Konan.

"But... I don't have piercings. Doesn't that already make me someone you would never like, eh?" asked Deidara.

Ookami chuckled in response to Deidara's comment. Pein let a small grunt.

"It's more than looks. You have to be... hmm... well, sweet and caring isn't you. I do love it when a man takes charge. Oh, and there's nothing like fighting side by side, moving gracefully on the battlefield, like poetry in motion," spoke Konan.

"Sweet and caring? P... Leader-sama as sweet and caring? The man who continually threatens to remove our arms and other appendages?" asked Ookami.

"Only with her," replied Pein.

"I still don't see it, but sure, I'll buy it," spoke Ookami.

"Well, thanks for the lunch, I wanted to look up one more thing, hm. Come on, Ookami," spoke Deidara.

"See you guys later!" spoke Ookami.

The two returned to Deidara's room. Deidara made sure to lock the door shut.

"I can't believe that worked, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Well, it's not that far from the truth, really. Now then, let's tie her up, and perform the tensei jutsu. Make sure you tie her down well, since it's just two of us, there's a good chance we'll be knocked out for a while," spoke Ookami.

The two quickly tied up Yugito's body, making sure she wouldn't be able to escape when she awoke. They did a double check to make sure she wouldn't be able to escape.

"Okay, we can start now. Oh, wait, we should probably remove our cloaks, and hide our Akatsuki gear from sight," spoke Ookami.

"Nah, no point in doing that, hm. She'll figure out we're members eventually," replied Deidara.

"Meh, whatever..." muttered Ookami.

The two performed the technique. With the two of them, it took about a half hour to complete. When they were finished, then ended up passing out right next to Yugito. Right after the two Akatsuki members passed out, Yugito began to stir. She quickly noted that she was trapped. She saw the two Akatsuki members on either side of her. Deidara on her right, Ookami on her left. She tried to consult with the nibi, only to find the bijuu was no longer there. She thought she was having a dream, and opted to drift back to sleep. A few hours later, all three awoke.

"Uh... I feel like I just fought off a squad of ANBU..." muttered Ookami.

"Remind me to ask someone else to help next time, hm..." muttered Deidara.

Yugito looked around to find herself in the same place as before. She was convinced this wasn't a dream, and tried to break free, unable to do so.

"Calm down, we're not going to hurt you," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah, I could never hurt a work of art like you, hm," spoke Deidara.

Deidara moved to stroke Yugito's face, but Ookami slapped his hand away.

"Deidara, what did I tell you about touching?" asked Ookami.

"If I do it at the wrong moment, it will seem really creepy, hm," replied Deidara.

"Try to remember that," spoke Ookami.

"What is going on!? Why am I here!? What happened to Nibi!?" shouted Yugito.

"Oh, we pulled the nibi out of you and sealed it into our statue with the ichibi," replied Ookami.

"You did what!?" shouted Yugito.

"We sealed the nibi, hm. Unfortunately, the process killed you, so I used a technique, with Ookami's help, to bring you back, hm," replied Deidara.

"Why?" asked Yugito.

"Um... uh..." stuttered Deidara.

"He thinks your hot!" shouted Ookami.

"What?" asked Yugito.

"Deidara thinks your hot," replied Ookami.

Yugito had a shocked look on her face. She was tied to a bed with two members of Akatsuki, an organization she wanted to bring down, and now she was being told that one of the members had a crush on her. She wasn't really sure what to do.

"Well, if that's the case, then why did you tie me down?" asked Yugito.

"We figured you would wake up before us and try to escape, or kill us, or something like that," replied Ookami.

"Well, could you untie me now?" asked Yugito.

"If I did, wouldn't you just try to escape?" asked Ookami.

"Uh... no, I wouldn't," replied Yugito.

"Yeah you would. You wouldn't get too far, though. If you did somehow get past us, you would have to deal with the other members here, not to mention you would have to find a way to get past everyone in the village. It's not like Kumo-nin are popular around here," explained Ookami.

"Where are we?" asked Yugito.

"Hmm... I guess it's safe to tell you. We're in Amegakure, at the base of Akatsuki. This is Deidara's room. Oh, and we're the only ones who know you are here. It would be in your best interest to keep it that way. Some of the other members might not be too happy to see you here," explained Ookami.

"He's right about that, I'm not too amused. Did those two really think I wouldn't notice? They should know better by now," spoke Pein. He and Konan were on the other side of the door, listening in to what was going on.

"Well, what are you going to do? Rip their arms off?" asked Konan, using a sarcastic tone for the second part.

"And beat them to death with them!" shouted Pein.

"Oh, come on, I think it's kind of cute. Going through so much trouble for a girl," spoke Konan.

"I don't think it's cute in the slightest! They did this behind my back. The last thing I need is a Kumo-nin running around in here. If they knew we were based here, that's all the reason they would need to launch an attack on us, and that's the last thing I need right now. Not that taking care of them would be that much of a problem, but then all the nations would know this is where we are located," explained Pein.

"Oh, what's one Kumo-nin going to do? She would never make it out of here alive. Please, just let them be. I want to see how long it takes for Deidara to make a fool of himself," spoke Konan.

"You really do find this whole thing amusing, don't you? You're twisted. That's what I love about you," replied Pein.

"Hmm... don't we have some work to do in the office?" asked Konan.

"Not really," replied Pein.

"Not that kind of work, Pein-_chan_," spoke Konan in a seductive tone.

"I'll find the sock," replied Pein.

The pair left the situation in Deidara's room alone to pan itself out. Pein made sure to both mark the door to the office, and lock it.

"Hmm... Tobi wonders what Leader-sama and Konan are doing. Leader-sama!" shouted Tobi, looking around the hideout to figure out where the pair went. He eventually made his way to the office, and noticed the locked door.

"Hmm... why is the door locked? And why the sock?" Tobi muttered to himself. He decided to peek through the crack in the door, only to see some kind of barrier.

"_Sound barrier... maybe I should try that. It would make Ookami happy. I suppose I could do him that favor. I wonder why I never thought to do that before?"_ Tobi thought to himself.

"You brought me to your base after supposedly killing me, brought me back to life somehow, and now you're telling me this guy has the hots for me?" asked Yugito.

"Yeah, pretty much. Right Deidara?" asked Ookami.

Deidara could only nod.

"Speak boy, speak. It's not like she bites... well, maybe she does, but she's tied down, so you're safe," spoke Ookami.

"Uh... yeah... hm..." muttered Deidara.

"_These two are even weirder than the religious guy and the money obsessed freak. I have got to find some way out of this... though, that Deidara guy is kind of cute... wait, no! What am I thinking, I need to get out of here. I know, I'll just have to find some way to gain their trust, and when they least expect it, I'll slip past them!"_ Yugito thought to herself.

Yugito looked at Deidara, and started making a puppy pout face.

"Could you please untie me? Please?" asked Yugito.

"Must... resist... face... hm..." muttered Deidara.

"Damn, I can't resist that look, and I have a hot girlfriend. Alright, we'll untie you, but please, it's for your own sake that you don't try to run away," spoke Ookami.

Deidara and Ookami untied here. Ookami tensed up, expecting to get a fight out of the girl, but nothing happened. She just sat up, and looked at Deidara.

"Uh... hi?" stuttered Deidara.

Yugito gave Deidara a passionate kiss. The former Iwa-nin ended up fainting.

"You actually like him!?" shouted Ookami.

"He is kind of cute," replied Yugito.

"Right... you know, if you're going to act, at least try to be a little more convincing," spoke Ookami.

"He believed it," replied Yugito, with a big grin on her face.

"Well... he's an idiot... an idiot I used to look up to... wow... that's actually kind of depressing..." muttered Ookami.

"_Yeah, they're both idiots. This shouldn't be too hard,"_ Yugito thought to herself.

Ookami took a look at Yugito. He didn't like the hint of evil intentions in her eyes.

"I'm a lot smarter than you think I am, just so you know. On the other hand, I have a set code of ethics I follow in regards to how I treat women. I really don't want to have to tie you up again, and, for some reason, I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone in a room with Deidara," spoke Ookami.

"Why, worried I'm going to try and kill him before he recovers?" asked Yugito.

"No, actually, I'm worried he would try to ravish you. See, he's just been waiting for the right one to show up, and now that he has it set that it's you, well... let's just say I fear for your virginity," replied Ookami.

"What makes you think I'm a virgin?" asked Yugito.

"No one bothered to rescue you, which means, to me, that you never really had a boyfriend. And, since you were a jinchuuriki, there's a good chance that if anyone tried to rape you, the nibi would have done something to protect you," answered Ookami.

"Well, what makes you think Nibi wouldn't' protect me from him?" asked Yugito.

"Uh, the nibi is locked away in our statue, remember? We killed you to extract the nibi, then we brought you back to life? Ring a bell?" asked Ookami in a sarcastic tone.

"You don't have to be so mean about it..." muttered Yugito.

"I'm a member of the group of S-Ranked criminals, why would I be nice?" asked Ookami.

"That whole 'code of ethics' thing you were rattling about earlier," replied Yugito.

"Shit, you're right. Well, okay, I'll try to be nice to you. But you have to do one thing for me," spoke Ookami.

"And that would be?" asked Yugito.

"If you're going to love or hate Deidara, don't act. Or, if you must fake it, at least be convincing. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Deidara, I won't let him do anything to you... oh shit..." muttered Ookami.

"What?" asked Yugito.

"I just realized, I don't know where we're going to have you sleep. We can't really take you out of here, because you're not really supposed to be here. I can't leave you in here with Deidara, because he would try to do Kami knows what to you. And it would be kind of suspicious if I started sleeping in here just to keep an eye on you. Uh... hm... well, I could always tie Deidara down, but I would have to tie you down, too," explained Ookami.

"Just use a Nendo Bunshin, eh," spoke Deidara.

"You're awake?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah... that was some kiss," replied Deidara.

"It was a fake," spoke Yugito.

"Fuck, I thought I scored, hm," muttered Deidara.

"Deidara, you're going to treat her like a lady, regardless of whether or not she ends up liking you," commanded Ookami.

"And, by the way, the odds are rather against you," chimed in Yugito.

"Oh..." muttered Deidara.

"There's still a chance, don't be so down," spoke Ookami, with a smile.

"Yeah, sure... there's a chance..." muttered Yugito.

"Alright, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I'm hungry. What kind of food do you guys have?" asked Yugito.

"We're going to have to be room service, aren't we?" asked Ookami.

"Unless you can think of something, hm," replied Deidara.

Ookami thought over the situation for a moment, and then an idea came into his head.

"Hey, Deidara, you have any pictures of Sasori? If she can do a henge into him... I mean, he's been in his workshop all day, what are the odds that he's going to walk out, or something?" asked Ookami.

"About the same of him eating. He's a puppet, remember, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Well, he still has that human body of his that he uses every now and then, right? We can act like he's using it today, or something. It'll be a different member every time, so it should be okay," spoke Ookami.

"It's worth a try, I guess, hm," replied Deidara. He started going through his things until he could find a good picture of Sasori.

"Ah, here's a good one. He wasn't too happy that day, but it'll do, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Is he ever happy?" asked Ookami.

"Well, there was that one time he wandered into the sex doll section of one of the adult stores..."

"And that's where you stop, Deidara!!" shouted Ookami.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you he was drunk, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Hmm... yeah, actually. Now then, can you copy this?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, sure. Henge!" shouted Yugito, turning into Sasori.

"Great, and now for the voice. Just sound like you have a pole up your ass about being late for anything, and you should be okay," spoke Ookami.

"Like this?" asked Sasori-Yugito.

"That'll do. Now then, to the kitchen," spoke Ookami.

The three went into the kitchen. Itachi and Kisame were already in there, cooking up something.

"Hey guys, what's cooking?" asked Ookami.

"We're making some pasta, Uchiha style!" shouted Kisame.

"Uchiha style, hm?" asked Deidara.

"It's a recipe kaa-chan used to make. It's kind of spicy, but it's good stuff," replied Itachi.

"Oh..." muttered Deidara, Sasori-Yugito, and Ookami in unison.

"Since Itachi can't cook to save himself, I'm the one doing most of the work. He's just trying to make sure I get the recipe right," spoke Kisame.

"Makes sense. How much longer until it's ready?" asked Ookami.

"Oh, about fifteen minutes, want some?" asked Kisame.

"I hate waiting... it's not often I use my human body, and I have to wait longer?" asked Sasori-Yugito.

"Using your human body today? Oh... well, I'll try to go as fast as I can," replied Kisame.

"_She's good," _thought Deidara.

After the pasta was done, the group sat down to eat. Kisame and Itachi were watching for the reactions of the other members.

"So, what do you think?" asked Kisame.

"I'm pretty sure he got it right. It tastes about right," spoke Itachi.

"Not bad, the little kick in it is a nice touch, hm," replied Deidara.

"A little spicy, but not bad," replied Ookami.

"It's alright, I guess," replied Sasori-Yugito.

"Hey, has anyone seen my pliers?" asked Sasori, as he came out of his workshop.

"Oh, I was using them to fix the weapon's rack in my room, let me get them for you," spoke Kisame.

Deidara, Ookami, and Sasori-Yugito were dead quiet. They were surprised no one realized there was something wrong yet.

"Here you go," spoke Kisame, as he handed them over to Sasori-Yugito.

"Uh... arigatou..." muttered Sasori-Yugito.

"Hey, shark-boy! What's taking so long!?" shouted Sasori, as he came into the dining area.

"I just gave them to you!!" shouted Kisame.

"Uh, Kisame, there's two of them," spoke Itachi.

"Huh?" asked Kisame.

"Is Tobi trying to copy me again?" asked Sasori.

"Uh... hai?" replied Sasori-Yugito.

"Stop stealing my spare body parts and covering yourself in them!!" shouted Sasori.

"But I like being Sasori!!" shouted Sasori-Yugito.

"_Wow... she's doing pretty well, and she has no idea what kind of personality Tobi has. We might just be able to pull this off yet!"_ Ookami thought to himself.

"_Never thought I would be so happy about one of Tobi's acts of stupidity," _Deidara thought to himself.

"Hey Sasori! Look at what I made! It's a battle puppet like one of yours!" shouted Tobi, holding up a puppet that was about the size of an action figure.

"_You have got to be kidding me..."_ Ookami thought to himself.

"Wait, if you're there, then..." spoke Sasori, as he turned to look at Deidara and Ookami. He could tell they were getting nervous.

"Is this one of your Nendo Bunshins?" asked Sasori.

"It can't be, it's eating," spoke Kisame.

"Uh..." muttered Ookami.

"Um... uh... I thought you would like it, danna, hm!" shouted Deidara.

Sasori cast a glare over the two explosive users. They knew Sasori was about to figure it out.

"I smell some good cooking... wait... two Sasoris?" asked Pein. His clothes were a bit messed up, as was his hair.

"What smells good out here... huh?" asked Konan, her clothing and hair also a mess, though her paper flower was somehow okay.

"Will you tell your captive to drop the henge," commanded Pein.

Yugito dropped her disguise, drawing odd looks from the unknowing Akatsuki members.

"The Nibi Jinchuuriki!? Didn't we just kill her!?" shouted Kisame.

"Oh good, I'm not the only one, I thought I was losing it," muttered Sasori.

"Those two idiots brought her back to life with a tensei jutsu," explained Pein.

"Why did they do that?" asked Tobi.

"Because Deidara apparently likes this girl," replied Pein.

"Deidara-senpai has a girlfriend! Deidara-senpai has a girlfriend!" shouted Tobi.

"_Seriously, how the fuck does he tolerate being like that!?"_ Ookami thought to himself.

"_This can't get any worse,"_ Deidara thought to himself.

"We're back! I just cashed in a huge bounty! 40,000,000 ryou!" shouted Kakuzu.

"Do you have to talk about that fucking bounty!? That blasphemous asshole almost took my head off!!" shouted Hidan.

"_It just got worse,"_ Deidara thought to himself.

"Wait, isn't she that jinchuuriki we just defeated?" asked Hidan.

"Eh? What's she doing here!? I thought we killed her!?" shouted Kakuzu.

"He he... funny story..." muttered Ookami.

"Really?" asked Zetsu, who suddenly appeared in the room.

"Gangs all here..." muttered Ookami.

Ookami and Deidara began to explain the situation to the other members. They explained how they had decided to use the tensei jutsu to bring Yugito back to life because Deidara thought Yugito was going to be his one and only. After they finished, the room went quiet.

"Fuck! I lost the bet!!" shouted Kakuzu.

"Huh?" asked Deidara.

"Everyone was placing a bet on whether you were a guy or a girl. Kakuzu thought you were faking it, since you've apparently never had a girlfriend before," replied Ookami, "Oh, and by the way, I placed my money on him being a guy! Ha! Do I know my partner, or what?"

"Damn, I thought he was a chick," muttered Kisame.

"I knew he was a guy, my 'hot girl sense' would have told me if he was a girl," spoke Itachi.

"Hot girl sense?" asked Ookami.

"Itachi wants to restore his clan. And he enjoys it. That's all I'm going to say," replied Kisame.

"I was hoping he was a girl," muttered Konan.

"I told you he wasn't," spoke Pein.

"I bet on him being a girl because I was bored," spoke Sasori.

"I knew from that time I was sleep eating he was a guy. Girls have a different flavor," spoke Zetsu.

"Oh Kami, I asked you never to bring that up again, hm!" shouted Deidara.

"Well, I guess it's time to collect on that bet!" shouted Ookami.

"Not so fast, there's still the issue of you two resurrecting a jinchuuriki behind my back, and then letting her roam the base!" shouted Pein.

"Oh shit..." muttered Ookami.

"So, what are you going to do to us, Leader-sama, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Hmm... you know, now that I think about it, I don't really care. One Kumo shinobi wouldn't be able to get out of here without help, no one came to try and rescue her before, and everyone outside of us probably thinks she's dead, anyway," replied Pein.

"So... you're not going to rip our arms off, or anything?" asked Ookami.

"Nah, though, a lot of that has to do with me being in a good mood. However, if you ever pull another stunt like this... there will be no ripping off arms, I'll just kill you," replied Pein.

"Oh boy..." muttered Ookami.

Deidara was too surprised from Pein's response to say anything.

"Well, this is awkward..." muttered Yugito.

"So, since we're all together, we might as well introduce each other," spoke Ookami.

The members introduced themselves to Yugito. After hearing about everyone's personality, and another argument between Hidan and Kakuzu, Pein quieted everyone down.

"Okay, so here's the rules. One, you can't leave here. You'll be killed on sight, and I will make sure all of Amegakure is aware of this. Two, you try to fight your way out of here, you will die. Three, you try to interfere at all with any Akatsuki activities, you will be killed. Do not try to attempt outside communication, or we will kill you. The last rule is that you are not to enter any of the rooms in this half of our headquarters. That's all," explained Pein.

"That's not too bad... I guess..." muttered Yugito.

"You're staying in Deidara's room," spoke Ookami.

"Oh..." muttered Yugito.

"But you'll have one of my Nendo Bunshin keeping guard to make sure nothing happens to you," spoke Ookami.

"And if any of these animals try to do anything to you, you let me know. As the only lady of the group, I will not allow any shameful acts to be directed towards women here!" shouted Konan.

"Uh... why couldn't you have just left me for dead..." muttered Yugito.

"What makes you think we didn't? This could be Hell for all you know," spoke Kisame.

"I could believe that, actually," replied Yugito.

"You're safe, hm. You're alive and well, and I'll make sure to treat you like a lady," spoke Deidara.

"That doesn't mean I'm going to magically fall for you," spoke Yugito.

"Yeah, I know, hm," replied Deidara.

"_Why me?"_ Yugito thought to herself.


	8. Orochimaru's Plan

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; if I did, I wouldn't have to type this_

**Chapter 8: Orochimaru's Plan**

"Alright, it's time to go after the sanbi! Are you ready Deidara?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, hm," replied Deidara.

"What about you, Yugito?" asked Ookami.

"I am not going to help you capture someone who is like me, regardless of whether or not you hope to revive them!!" shouted Yugito.

"I already told you, the sanbi has no jinchuuriki, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Oh... I guess I'll come along, then..." muttered Yugito.

"It's not like you have a choice in the matter; Leader-sama told us you go where Deidara goes," spoke Ookami.

"Hey guys, change in plans," spoke Zetsu. The plant man had entered Deidara's room without being noticed.

"What? We have to go after a different bijuu now?" asked Ookami.

"Well... I lost track of where the sanbi is..." muttered Zetsu.

"You what?" asked Deidara.

"I lost track of where the sanbi is..." muttered Zetsu.

"Could you repeat that? I could have sworn I heard our great tracker saying he lost track of something?" asked Ookami.

"I fucking lost track of the sanbi!!" shouted Zetsu.

"And you still have both of your arms attached? Leader-sama must have gotten laid last night..." muttered Ookami.

"Gah, I'm going to go look for it. I'll let you know when I find it," spoke Zetsu, as he stormed out of the room.

"So, what are we going to do now?" asked Ookami.

"Hell, I dunno, hm. I don't feel like hanging around here all day waiting for plant boy to show up," replied Deidara.

"I could go see if Hinata is busy..." mumbled Ookami.

"And I could spend some time with Yugito to get to know her better, hm!" shouted Deidara.

"Eh? Don't I get a say in any of this!?" shouted Yugito.

"Hmm... I just realized what a terrible idea it would be to leave you two alone. Well, how about a double date?" asked Ookami.

"How about no?" asked Yugito.

"Would you rather I left you here with him?" asked Ookami.

"No..." muttered Yugito.

Deidara just smiled.

"Well, let's go grab some lunch before we head out to Konoha," spoke Ookami.

The group dropped their supplies off, and went to raid the kitchen. Everyone else had already eaten, and were out doing whatever they had planned to do for the day.

"Ah, it's so nice to be out here and not have to worry about..."

"Tobi is a good boy, right Sasori no danna!?" shouted Tobi, interrupting Ookami.

"I shouldn't have said anything..." muttered Ookami.

"What? I think it's kind of cute," spoke Yugito.

"Everyone thinks that for the first couple of days. Once you've been here long enough, you'll dread that voice as much as the rest of us, hm," replied Deidara.

"Shut up!!" shouted Sasori.

"But..."

"Shut it!!" shouted Sasori again, cutting off Tobi.

"Hey, Sasori! What are you up to? I thought everyone was gone," asked Ookami.

"I have to go and meet with one of my spies. He's been keeping an eye on Orochimaru for me for sometime," replied Sasori.

"Oh, no kidding? What is this spy of yours like?" asked Ookami.

"Platinum blond, wears glasses..."

"Kabuto?" asked Ookami.

"You saw him when you stole that ring, didn't you?" asked Sasori.

"Yeah... I'm still trying to forget about what I saw while I was there. Seriously, Orochimaru has some serious issues," spoke Ookami.

"I used to be his partner; if you think being in that base for a few moments was bad, trying being stuck with him for a couple of years," replied Sasori.

"Right, I see your point," spoke Ookami, "Need anyone to help you?"

"Don't you guys have to go after the sanbi?" asked Sasori.

"Plant boy last track of it, hm," replied Deidara.

"Zetsu lost track of something? There's something that doesn't happen everyday. I guess there's a first time for everything. I have to do this one on my own. Thanks for the offer," replied Sasori.

"What about Tobi?"

"If Tobi tries to join me, he's going to find himself with a scorpion tail shoved up his ass!!" shouted Sasori.

"Ah, feel the love..." muttered Yugito.

"I'm leaving, good day!!" shouted Sasori. The puppet user stormed out of the base, slamming the door behind him.

"Aww... now what is Tobi going to do... I know! I'll hang with you guys!!"

"Oh joy..." muttered Deidara.

"Finally, someone who's fun to be around," spoke Yugito.

"He's taken," spoke Ookami.

"Aww..." muttered Yugito.

"Huh? Are you joking, hm?" asked Deidara.

"You don't want to know..." muttered Ookami, trembling at the thought.

"Tobi loves Kuro-chan!!"

Deidara just stood there, jaw dropping.

"He beat you to having a girlfriend... that has to be depressing," spoke Ookami.

Deidara just made a slow nod.

"Don't feel bad. He's dating my ex," replied Ookami.

Deidara was frozen in place. It looked as if he may have had a heart attack.

"Wait, he's dating your ex?" asked Yugito.

"Yeah. You know, the only reason she broke up with me was because I wouldn't have sex with her, so it doesn't really bother me as much as it could have," replied Ookami.

"You really are a gentleman, aren't you?" asked Yugito.

"I told you I was. Hinata-chan would tell you the same," replied Ookami.

"Wow... I like you more than Deidara," spoke Yugito.

Deidara fell to the ground, making a loud thud. The others looked down to him.

"Uh... why oh why did I ever look up to him..." muttered Ookami.

"Deidara-senpai is being funny!" shouted Tobi.

"Wait... you ex is still dating him, then does that mean..."

"You don't want to know!!" shouted Ookami, cutting off Yugito.

"Uh... I heard Yugito say she liked Ookami more than me, hm..." muttered Deidara.

"Yeah, you did," replied Yugito, with a sly grin on her face.

Deidara fell to the ground again.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" asked Ookami.

"Of course I am," replied Yugito.

"You're evil... if we had an opening, I would ask Leader-sama to consider bringing you on as a member," spoke Ookami.

Yugito started laughing. Deidara finally picked himself up, accepting of the fact that Yugito liked nice guys. The group looked into the fridge and freezer.

"Hey, looks like we have frozen fried potato skins. Those are always good. How about it?" asked Ookami.

"Tobi likes fried potato skins!"

"Works for me," replied Yugito.

"Sure, why not, hm," replied Deidara.

Ookami pulled them out, and fired up the oven. He heated up the potato skins, and set them out.

"Hey, did anyone notice if we had sour cream?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, there's some in the door of the fridge, hm. I thought Leader-sama was the only one who liked the stuff," replied Deidara.

"It makes potatoes so much better!" shouted Ookami, as he got out the sour cream, and began spooning it only his potato skins.

"So, what do you guys feel like doing?" asked Ookami.

"Tobi wants to see Sasori!!"

"I would rather not upset Sasori no danna, hm," replied Deidara.

"Actually, he might need some help. I'm not sure if Kabuto is still loyal to him or not. He didn't look like he was acting like a spy," spoke Ookami.

"He's a sleeper agent. You wouldn't know he was acting as a spy unless you were the one who used the jutsu that turned him into a spy, hm," replied Deidara.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense. Still, though, it would give us something to do. Besides, we'll just keep an eye from afar. We'll only interfere if it looks like he's in trouble," spoke Ookami.

"Alright, hm," replied Deidara.

"Yay!!" shouted Tobi.

"Well, this could be interesting," spoke Yugito.

The group continued eating their fried potato skins. When they were finished, Ookami cleaned up everything, and the group head out. Deidara and Ookami surveyed the area around Amegakure, looking to see if they could figure out what direction Sasori was going. As soon as they found him, the group tailed behind him, making sure they wouldn't be noticed. Ookami had Yugito on his bird, while Tobi was on Deidara's bird. Ookami figured Yugito felt safer riding with him, which Yugito quickly agreed to. They found that Sasori was heading to the Tenchikyou in Kusa no Kuni.

"Huh, interesting place to be meeting with a spy..." muttered Ookami.

"Hey, Ookami, hm. Look in those bushes," spoke Deidara.

Ookami looked down, and noticed that there were some Konoha-nin in hiding. Ookami and Deidara decided to land behind them, so Sasori wouldn't notice. They made sure not to draw any attention as they approached the Konoha group.

"Naruto? Hinata? What are you guys doing here?" asked Ookami.

The members of the team turned around, preparing to draw weapons.

"Easy does it, we're not here to pick a fight, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Who are you?" asked their team leader.

"Nii Yugito, of Kumogakure."

"Tobi, associate of Akatsuki."

"Deidara of Akatsuki, hm."

"Ookami of Akatsuki."

"Why are you here?" asked the Konoha team leader.

"We're here to back up Sasori. Who are you?" asked Ookami.

"Yamato."

"Oh. What happened to Kakashi?" asked Ookami.

"He had fell ill," replied Yamato.

"Why are you here? To get some information about Orochimaru, hm?" asked Deidara.

"We were going to try and take your spy," spoke Sakura.

"Oh? And I thought we were on decent terms?" asked Ookami.

"You're still a bunch of criminals, and Orochimaru's our problem," spoke Yamato.

"He's our problem, too," replied Tobi.

"Quiet, they're approaching the bridge," spoke Sakura.

The group went silent as Sasori and Kabuto met on the bridge. It appeared as though things were going well, until Orochimaru appeared.

"Figures... I though you said it would be impossible for someone know he was spy?" asked Ookami.

"Well, it would seem Orochimaru figured it out, hm," replied Deidara.

"Quiet," spoke Naruto.

Kabuto jumped back as Orochimaru walked towards the group. It looked like they were going to fight him two on one, until Kabuto destroyed Sasori's Hiruko puppet, forcing Sasori out into the open.

"Shit, I guess we're going to have to..."

"Naruto! Get back!" shouted Yamato, as Naruto ran through the group.

"...help him..." muttered Ookami.

"Where's Sasuke!?" shouted Naruto.

"The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki!? What are you doing here!?" shouted Sasori.

"Where's Sasuke!?" shouted Naruto.

"He's at my base, training hard to kill you," replied Orochimaru.

Orochimaru didn't realize he had said the wrong thing. Naruto transformed into his three-tailed state, and made a load roar, knocking back Kabuto. Naruto charged at Orochimaru, and slammed him into the forest.

"Holy shit!" shouted Ookami.

"He's that strong!?" shouted Deidara.

"I guess we should join him," spoke Yamato.

Those in hiding came out into the open. Kabuto was having difficulty picking himself back up, as Orochimaru walked back towards the bridge. He popped out a new arm, as the one he had before was torn off.

"About time you showed up, I was wondering just how long you were going to watch," spoke Orochimaru.

"What are you guys doing here!?" shouted Sasori.

"Thought you could use some help... and we were bored," replied Ookami.

"To think I'm actually glad you're here... what's with the Konoha-nin?" asked Sasori.

"Don't look at me, I didn't tell them about your little meeting," replied Ookami.

"We heard you had a spy in Orochimaru's ranks; we were going to grab your spy for information on Orochimaru," spoke Yamato.

"Oh, really? You must have brass balls to do something that would piss us off," replied Sasori.

"If you all want to fight each other, by all means, don't stop on my account," spoke Orochimaru.

Naruto started freaking out. He ended up reaching his four-tailed state, and went charging after Orochimaru.

"Wow... those two must have some serious bad blood between them..." muttered Ookami.

"Yeah, Orochimaru took Sasuke, who happens to be like a brother to Naruto," spoke Sakura.

"He isn't a blond guy, is he?" asked Ookami.

"No, why?" asked Sakura.

"I raided his base once; found he had a new body that was blond. I saw it for a second when Naruto hit him. I guess that must have been someone else," replied Ookami.

"Yeah, he can't take Sasuke's body for another few months," spoke Sakura.

"That's good for him; Orochimaru likes playing naked Twister when he gets a new body," replied Ookami.

"Wait, you were the one who was there two years ago!?" shouted Kabuto.

"Yeah, what of it? Lost a ring, or something? Well... too bad!" shouted Ookami.

An explosion rocked the area, as Naruto continued fighting Orochimaru.

"Damn, that boy is something, hm?" asked Deidara.

"What kind of people are they?" asked Yugito.

"Oh, well, Orochimaru is a snake freak, and Naruto is the jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi no Kitsune, hm," replied Deidara.

"He's a jinchuuriki? I suppose you're after him, too, aren't you?" asked Yugito.

"Actually, he agreed, as long as we bring him back to life after we're done with him. I don't get why he was so quick to agree, though. I mean, it looks like that fur ball gives him quite the advantage in battle," replied Ookami.

"He loses complete control in that state. He almost killed Jiraiya-sama one time," spoke Yamato.

"Oh..." muttered Ookami.

Another explosion rocked the area. Everyone could see Orochimaru flying into the air from another attack.

"Naruto-kun..." muttered Hinata.

"I wouldn't worry about him. With all of us here, he's safe," replied Ookami, "By the way, what happened to that other guy you guys were with?"

"Sai? He tried to betray us for his organization. He was going to kill Sasuke, so I broke his arms. He's in the hospital right now," replied Sakura.

"Remind me not to piss you off," spoke Ookami.

Orochimaru got blown into the air again. He landed on the bridge in front of everyone.

"That hurt..." muttered Orochimaru. He looked up, and saw Ookami with his ring.

"Hey, where did you get that from!?" shouted Orochimaru.

"I stole it from you. So, what are you going to do about it?" asked Ookami.

"If he has that, then why are you still after me?" asked Orochimaru.

"We really don't like you. Besides, you know where our base is. We can't let you live knowing what you know," replied Sasori.

"Wait, isn't the jinchuuriki going to come back here, hm?" asked Deidara.

A loud roar could be heard as Naruto came charging after Orochimaru again. Everyone ran out of the way, making sure they wouldn't be targeted. Ookami and Deidara made a couple large birds, and got everyone out of the way just in time to see Orochimaru get knocked into a canyon wall.

"You know, from up here, all we need is some popcorn. I'm rather enjoying this," spoke Ookami.

"Go Naruto-kun!" shouted Hinata.

Orochimaru made a run for it. Kabuto quickly followed. Everyone else chased after the group. Orochimaru ended up making it to his base, and quickly hid himself inside it.

"Hey, Orochimaru, isn't it time for you to train me?" asked Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun, your friend is out side," replied Orochimaru.

"I have no friends," replied Sasuke.

"Tell him that!" shouted Orochimaru, as a loud explosion rocked the base, sending Orochimaru flying into the base. Naruto came charging in. Upon seeing Sasuke, he returned to normal. He muttered Sasuke, before passing out.

"Damn... I guess we should charge in, hm?" asked Deidara.

"I got some explosives ready!" shouted Ookami.

The Blast Brothers sent an army of clay animals towards the base.

"Art is..." spoke Deidara.

"... a blast!!" shouted Ookami.

"Katsu!!" shouted Deidara and Ookami in unison.

Another large explosion racked the base. The group waited for signs of movement. Soon, Sasuke came up, holding Orochimaru over one shoulder, and Naruto over the other. Kabuto dug himself out. His glasses were cracked from everything that happened to him. The rest of the group jumped down.

"So, this is Itachi's younger brother? He looks just like him," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah, I heard Itachi messed him up the last time they met, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Why are you here?" asked Sasuke.

"I was originally looking for my spy, Kabuto. Snake boy thought he would try to kill me. And then everyone else showed up, and that jinchuuriki went wild, and almost killed Orochimaru," replied Sasori.

"Well, this is awkward. You mind if we take snake boy?" asked Ookami.

"What do I get in return?" asked Sasuke.

"We'll let you see Itachi, hm," replied Deidara.

"Deal," replied Sasuke, handing over Orochimaru.

"Tobi is happy for Itachi! He'll get to see his brother!"

"He does know they're going to try to kill each other, right?" asked Ookami.

"Ignorance is bliss, hm," replied Deidara.

"Well, I guess you guys can keep Kabuto. We don't need him for anything," spoke Sasori.

"Wait, now, don't I get a say in this?" asked Kabuto, "Sasuke! Do something!!"

"Sure," replied Sasuke, as he kicked Kabuto in the back of the head, knocking him out.

"You don't like them too much, do you?" asked Ookami.

"I got power from them; I don't need anything else," replied Sasuke.

"So, Sasuke-kun, are you going to come back with us after you beat your brother?" asked Sakura.

"Is that your girlfriend? She is kind of cute. You should go back; girls do wonders for a man after he gets his revenge. I know, because Hinata has sure made life interesting for me after I got my revenge," spoke Ookami.

"What would you know about getting revenge?" asked Sasuke.

"My parents were killed. I killed the guy who did it. You know, the initial high you get from succeeding is nice, but you feel empty after you're done. You need other goals in life, you know?" replied Ookami.

"Whatever... I'll go back, just stop being annoying," spoke Sasuke.

"Okay... Sasuke-kun..." muttered Sakura.

"Great, well then, you all should head back now. You should probably get the jinchuuriki to a hospital, hm," spoke Deidara.

"His name is Naruto..." muttered Sakura.

"Fine, you should get _Naruto_ to a hospital, hm. Oh, and reserve the bed next to him for Sasuke. He'll need it when Itachi's done with him, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Well, I'm coming with you," spoke Sakura.

"Sakura, you should come back with us," spoke Yamato.

"I'm going with Sasuke-kun!!" shouted Sakura.

"Damn, that hurt my ears..." muttered Ookami.

"Well, at least heal Naruto first," replied Yamato, backing up from Sakura.

Sakura healed Naruto, and sent Yamato off. Hinata decided to join up with Ookami, and the group made their way for Amegakure.

"Oh, one thing. You two can't go around telling everyone where we are. If you do, we'll have to kill you. Since we're giving you this favor, you should at least do us that much, eh?" asked Ookami.

"Fine. I don't care about you little group; I just want to kill Itachi," replied Sasuke.

The group arrived at the Akatsuki base. Pein was there to greet the group.

"Sasori, I thought you were going alone," spoke Pein.

"I was, but they all tagged along. They helped me succeed. We have the snake, we can do with him as we wish," replied Sasori.

"Very well, lock him up in the interrogation cells. I'll figure out what to do with him later. Why are these Konoha-nin here?" asked Pein.

"The Uchiha wants to fight Itachi. He gave us Orochimaru in exchange," replied Ookami.

"Fine, his funeral. What about the pink haired one?" asked Pein.

"Sakura."

"I don't care what your name is; I want to know what you're doing here. This isn't a fucking rest stop for every shinobi that happens to run into us," replied Pein.

"She _had_ to be with her Sasuke-kun, hm," replied Deidara.

"Fine, but she leaves after the fight," spoke Pein.

"Where is Itachi!?" shouted Sasuke. The Akatsuki members shook at hearing someone being so disrespectful towards their leader.

"Watch your tongue, boy. Even Itachi fears me. You would learn well to do so yourself," replied Pein.

"I don't care, all I want is Itachi," replied Sasuke.

"Geez, you don't like living much, do you?" asked Ookami.

"He'll be back soon. Until then, hold your tongue, or I'll rip it out of your head," spoke Pein, as he walked off.

"You don't know how lucky you are, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Who wants dinner!" shouted Tobi.

"How can you not be shaken up by Pein giving the threatening 'I'm going to rip your arms off' look, hm!?" shouted Deidara.

"Tobi's a good boy! Leader-sama would never do anything to Tobi because Tobi always behaves!"

"I see you put a lot of time into screening your members," spoke Sasuke.

"I wouldn't mess with him if I were you, he's stronger than he looks," replied Ookami.

"Yeah, right..." muttered Sasuke.

"Tobi is really strong! That's why Tobi is part of Akatsuki!"

Just then, Itachi and Kisame came walking through the door.

"Those Iwa-nin had no idea what hit them, eh Itachi? We should go mess with Kumo tomorrow," spoke Kisame.

"You enjoy killing far too much," replied Itachi.

"And they put up a decent fight. That's always important," spoke Kisame.

"Itachi!!" shouted Sasuke.

"Foolish little brother, why are you here?" asked Itachi.

"He wants to kill you, or something. So, shall we go to the training grounds, and have you two settle this little grudge match, or what?" asked Ookami.

"You brought him here?" asked Itachi.

"Yeah, he gave us Orochimaru, so we let him have a chance to fight you. Works out well for everyone, since you'll probably kill him," replied Ookami.

"When I'm done with him, you're next," spoke Sasuke.

"Yeah... sure..." muttered Ookami.

"Fine, let's get this over with," spoke Itachi.

The group headed for the training grounds the Akatsuki members often use. It was more less an arena, without the seats. There was no way anyone could see into the area, allowing one to practice their secret jutsu without notice.

"Alright, we'll just watch this little show; we won't interfere. If you kill Itachi, then we'll just have to find a new member. If you die, then Itachi is going to have to double his efforts in restoring your clan. Now then, begin!" shouted Ookami.

"This should be good, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Go Sasuke-kun!" shouted Sakura.

"Talk about your devoted fan. Hey, Hinata, what do you know about Sasuke?" asked Ookami.

"Not much more than you; he left our village shortly after the Godaime took office," replied Hinata.

"I see. Well, the biggest thing he had going for him back then was the Chidori; let's see what he can do now," spoke Ookami.

As if on cue, Sasuke started with a Chidori, which Itachi redirected into the ground.

"A raiton jutsu..." muttered Yugito.

"That jutsu was created by Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan. It's the copy-nin's only original jutsu, as far as I know," replied Ookami.

"Interesting," spoke Yugito.

Itachi and Sasuke stood still. Most of the people present figured out that they were using genjutsu on each other.

"Well, if that's the Tsukuyomi, then this is as good as over, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I hear you on that one. So much for..."

Ookami was interrupted when Sasuke lunged towards Itachi.

"Huh, didn't see that one coming," muttered Ookami.

Itachi was given the run through from Sasuke's katana. Itachi tried to pull the blade out, but found himself unable to.

"Chidori Nagashi!" shouted Sasuke, as lightning chakra surged through Itachi's body. Itachi fell to the ground in response.

"Wow, I don't think he expected that. Oh well, so much for that..." muttered Ookami.

Itachi appeared to rise from the dead, pull the katana out of himself, and slammed his fist into Sasuke, knocking him out. Itachi stomped down on him to be sure Sasuke wasn't getting up.

"Hey Itachi, you feeling alright?" asked Ookami.

"He's getting better, I'll give him that. He's the first to beat Tsukuyomi," replied Itachi.

"What!? He beat that genjutsu of yours, hm!?" shouted Deidara.

"Sasuke-kun!" shouted Sakura. She ran up to Sasuke, and performed medic jutsu on him.

"So, now what?" asked Ookami.

"I want to talk to him when he recovers," replied Itachi.

"You do?" asked Ookami.

Itachi said nothing as he returned to the base. After Sasuke was healed, the rest of the group followed. When Sasuke came to, he found himself on the couch facing Itachi.

"Damn it!!" shouted Sasuke.

"Well, at least you tried," replied Sakura.

"Shut up! You're so fucking annoying!!" shouted Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun..." muttered Sakura, with tears in her eyes.

"Ouch, that's not a way to treat women," spoke Ookami.

"You should listen to him. If you ever hope to help me restore the clan, you're going to have to be nicer to the ladies," replied Itachi.

"And why should I listen to anything you have to say?" asked Sasuke.

"Because I've already started the long process. It's a tough task, but it's something I must do," replied Itachi.

"Yeah right, you enjoy every second of it, hm," spoke Deidara.

"No kidding. How many women have you slept with now?" asked Kisame.

"I don't keep count," replied Itachi.

Sasuke didn't have anything to say.

"You know, he's quite the party animal; you should try and get along with your brother," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah, he could help you get laid, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I guess I could give him some tips... it's hard to restore a clan on your own..." muttered Itachi.

"Be nicer to Itachi? Get tips from him!? He killed everyone in our clan!! Why the fuck should I listen to anything he has to say!? He took everything I ever enjoyed away from me!!" shouted Sasuke.

"The clan was going to overthrow Konoha, you know. I killed them on orders. I was supposed to play up the whole 'missing-nin' thing, but I decided I enjoyed being with Akatsuki, so I gave up on it. Only four other people know this, and Orochimaru killed one of them. Hmm... I owe him a black eye for that one, I liked the old man..." muttered Itachi.

"You killed them because they were going to overthrow the Hokage?" asked Sasuke.

"Yeah; I was supposed to kill you, too, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Guess I had a soft spot for you. I told you all that hate me stuff to help you get strong. Since you're strong now, I figured I could tell you the truth," replied Itachi.

"Tou-san I can understand, but Kaa-san?" asked Sasuke.

"Yeah, I didn't want to kill her either, but I had to. We could always use some kind of tensei jutsu to bring her back, I guess," replied Itachi.

"Fuck... all this time, and this is the truth... fine, whatever. I'll believe you... if you bring kaa-san back to life," spoke Sasuke.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go dig her up. She'll have to live here, though. It would be too suspicious to have her living at home," replied Itachi.

Sasuke, Itachi, Ookami, and Deidara headed off to do a little grave robbing. They came back with two bodies. One to test jutsu on, and the Uchiha brother's mother. They started with the first body.

"Okay, if we all do this together, then it shouldn't knock us out, ready?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, but why am I helping with this again?" asked Kisame.

"Because you'll be eating shark fin soup for three days if you don't," replied Itachi.

"So what? I don't hate eating sharks," spoke Kisame.

"You would if I was tearing you apart, and forcing you to devour yourself," replied Itachi.

"Alright! Let's get this started!" shouted Kisame.

They quickly brought the first body back to life. It turned out to be the Uchiha Shisui. He looked like a zombie.

"Huh? Itachi? Why are you here, and why do I look like shit?" asked Shisui.

"Uh... yeah... so, who has a good enough medic jutsu to fix him up?" asked Itachi.

"I think Orochimaru knows something that might fix him up," replied Sasuke.

"Yeah, of all people, he would be the one to talk to for something like this," spoke Sasori.

"Sure, but if he tries to turn him against us, we'll have to kill him... again..." muttered Itachi.

"Oh joy..." muttered Shisui.

Shisui had to be carried, since his muscles were too deteriorated to work properly. They found that Orochimaru was awake, and busy dealing with Pein.

"Hey, Leader-sama, we need snake man to fix up this guy," spoke Ookami.

"Really? What are you going to do with this one, huh? I have enough guests coming in and out of here as is. I don't need anymore!" shouted Pein.

"This one is a test subject. If Oro tries to make him go against us, we'll kill this one," replied Itachi.

"Fine," replied Pein.

"Hey, Orochimaru! Restore this guy to full health. Don't try to use him to attack us!" shouted Itachi.

"Why should I?" asked Orochimaru.

"Wanna spend three days getting killed again?" asked Itachi.

"Okay, I'll do it," replied Orochimaru. The snake sannin made some hand seals, and placed his palm on Shisui. His body went back to normal.

"That takes a lot of chakra, you know!" shouted Orochimaru.

"I noticed. I figured I would copy that, so I don't have to worry about you messing around with anyone else I want to bring back. Since I noticed no killing intent in your jutsu, I won't put you under any genjutsu..." muttered Itachi, as he activated his Mangekyou Sharingan. After a couple of moments, Orochimaru was shivering in a corner.

"You killed your clan like that... you really are evil... but why..." muttered Orochimaru.

"That one was for the old man! You killed one of the few people in Konoha I liked, asshole!!" shouted Itachi.

"You should really know by now not to piss him off," spoke Pein.

Orochimaru passed out. The group performed all the necessary jutsu on Mikoto, and brought her back to life.

"What happened?" asked Mikoto.

"Your sons decided to bring you back from the dead, since they have reached an understanding," replied Ookami.

"Is this true?" asked Mikoto.

"Yeah, we made up," replied Sasuke.

"Great. Well, now what?" asked Mikoto.

"Kaa-san, you're not mad at Itachi for killing you?" asked Sasuke.

"He told me everything. You know, your normally emotionless brother was crying like a baby while he was doing it," replied Mikoto.

"Grr... yeah... so what, it was an emotional moment..." muttered Itachi.

"So that's why Itachi drinks heavily when he gets sad..." muttered Kisame.

"What happens now?" asked Ookami.

"Well... I guess the base is going to be better kept," replied Itachi.

"So, can we go back to Konoha now?" asked Sakura.

"Uh... no, I want to stay here for a little while. If you leave me be, I'll consider returning, alright?" asked Sasuke.

"Okay..." muttered Sakura.

"I'll take her back, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I don't trust you alone with another girl; I'm going with you," spoke Yugito.

Deidara nodded, and took off. The group had one last decision to make.

"So, what are we going to do with him?" asked Ookami.

"You mean Shisui? Shit, I was expecting Orochimaru to pull a fast one on us..." muttered Itachi.

"I could go home," replied Shisui.

"Oh yeah, that wouldn't draw any suspicion," spoke Sasuke.

"Just go somewhere other than Konoha, or something... and don't tell anyone we're located here," spoke Itachi.

"Bleah, I'll just live here, or something. I'm sure you could always use more grunts," replied Shisui.

"Yeah, sure. I'll talk to the leader about it. Until then, I guess you can stay here," spoke Itachi.

"Fine, I call the couch," replied Shisui.

"Where are we going to have your mom sleep?" asked Ookami.

"I don't know... Tobi is using the guest room... and Konan is with Leader-sama... it would be awkward to share my room..." muttered Itachi.

"I guess now would be a good time to work on building those other guest rooms," spoke Pein, as he came up from the interrogation cells.

"Yeah. You don't mind kaa-san being here, do you?" asked Itachi.

"Konan would be thrilled at having someone to have girl talk with. Yeah..." muttered Pein.

"Arigatou, Leader-sama," spoke Itachi.

"Well, there's only one thing to do at a time like this," spoke Ookami.

"What's that?" asked Itachi.

Ookami got a smile on his face.

Two hours later, the group returned from the bar they frequented. Everyone, except Hinata, was drunk.

"Hey, nii-san, let's go and hit on some more chicks..." muttered Sasuke.

"Otouto... I think we should find a couple of women, and then trade them!!" shouted Itachi.

"Oh yeah, nothing like a little Uchiha loving to make a woman happy!" shouted Sasuke.

"Let's go!" shouted Itachi.

"Hey, wait, you shouldn't do that... you should like... oh, wait, I forget what I was thinking... hey, Hinata, what was I thinking a moment ago?" asked Ookami.

"How embarrassing... Ookami-kun... Itachi-san... Sasuke-san..." muttered Hinata.

"They're drunk, aren't they?" asked Mikoto.

"Beyond all hope..." muttered Hinata.

"Hey, that lady is pretty, you guys can do her!" shouted Ookami.

Three thuds were heard as Mikoto knocked out the drunken group. Only Kisame was still conscious.

"Hey, do I know you from some where? You look like Itachi... except you're a chick... a hot chick..." spoke Kisame.

Another thud followed as Kisame hit the floor.

"Fucking shameless, getting drunk like that," spoke Hidan.

"Hey, booze is the second best thing in the world next to money!" shouted Kakuzu.

"_Why me?"_ thought both Hinata and Mikoto at the same time.

Hidan, Kakuzu, Mikoto, and Hinata picked up the unconscious members, and dragged them to their beds. Their doors were shut tight. Mikoto placed Sasuke on the couch. At the point, she realized there was something missing.

"Where's Shisui?" asked Mikoto.

As if on cue, the door swung open, revealing a drunk Shisui.

"Hey, those fuck heads left me behind to chase women... assholes... hey, you look like pretty women..." muttered Shisui.

One thud later, Shisui was taken over to the chair, and given a blanket.

"They should have left me in the ground..." muttered Mikoto.

"I guess it's time to retire for the night. I'm going to join Ookami," spoke Hinata.

"Aren't you worried he might do something to you while drunk?" asked Mikoto.

"He won't; he's actually quite the gentleman," replied Hinata.

"Really? I'll take your word for it... but if he tries anything, you let me know, and I'll hit him so hard, he won't be up for a week!" shouted Mikoto.

"Okay, goodnight," spoke Hinata.

"Night," replied Mikoto.

"We're heading off, too. Night," spoke Hidan.

"Goodnight," replied Mikoto.

Hinata walked into Ookami's room. He was wide awake, rubbing the back of his head.

"That's the last time I pretend to be wasted..." muttered Ookami.

"You were faking it?" asked Hinata.

"Yeah, I do that sometimes. I've tried, and I can't get wasted, so I just act like it sometimes. Damn, I know where Itachi gets his strength from now..." muttered Ookami.

"Oh?" asked Hinata.

Ookami felt a slap go across his face. He was left with a red hand print on his left cheek.

"Don't do that again!" shouted Hinata.

"Yes mam," replied Ookami.

Hinata and Ookami changed into their sleeping clothes, and drifted off into a restful sleep.

"So, you're Itachi's mother, huh?" asked Pein, "You must be one strong woman."

"Everyone thinks it was my husband, but I'm the real muscle in the family. I may have been a housewife, but I trained when my tasks were done," replied Mikoto, activating her Sharingan.

"I like her. I'm glad Itachi brought her to us," spoke Konan.

"I'm going to bed now, goodnight ladies," spoke Pein, as he went off to the room he shared with Konan.

"I should go join him. Goodnight, Mikoto-chan," spoke Konan, with a smile on her face.

"Goodnight you two," replied Mikoto. _"Maybe now I can get myself to sleep."_

"Uh! I swear, you can be so annoying sometimes!" shouted Yugito, as she and Deidara returned.

"What? I couldn't pass up a target like that, hm!" shouted Deidara.

"What? I just want a little sleep? Is that too much to ask for..." muttered Mikoto.

"Hey, I'm not sharing a room with you if I don't have someone making a bunshin to look after me," spoke Yugito.

Mikoto walked up to Deidara, and had a big grin on her face.

"Uh... hi?" spoke Deidara.

There was one last thud for the night, as Deidara hit the floor.

"There, problem solved," spoke Mikoto.

"Um... arigatou..." muttered Yugito, as she pulled Deidara into his room. She made sure to tie him up, so he couldn't do anything to her.

_A/N: Remember to review! I like reviews. You wouldn't want me to send Mikoto after you, would you?_


	9. Coastal Rampage

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; if I did, the Akatsuki would have kicked Naruto's behind, then took him out for a drink_

**Chapter 9: Coastal Rampage**

"What happened to me... hm..." muttered Deidara, as he was waking up. He found himself tied down to his bed. He turned to see a smiling Yugito.

"I take it you have something to do with this?" asked Deidara.

"I just tied you up. Mikoto-san knocked you out," replied Yugito.

"Mikoto? Oh, right, Itachi and Sasuke's mother... hm," muttered Deidara, "are you going to untie me?"

"Yeah, sure. No fear of you doing anything to me," spoke Yugito, as she undid the wire holding Deidara down. The former Iwa-nin sat up, grumbled about troublesome jinchuuriki, and walked off.

"He was kind of cute, while he was defenseless..." muttered Yugito, while thinking unnatural thoughts about the explosives expert.

Deidara walked into the kitchen to find Ookami brewing some coffee. Shisui, Itachi, Sasuke, and Kisame had their heads on the table.

"What's up with them, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Hangovers... we did a lot of drinking last night. Celebrating their mom coming back from the dead and the Uchiha pair making up with each other," replied Ookami.

"Why aren't you with them? Don't drink?" asked Deidara.

"I drink with the best of them; but I don't get drunk, and I don't get hangovers," replied Ookami.

"What makes you so lucky, hm?" asked Deidara.

"I don't know, but I'm not about to complain," replied Ookami.

"You were drunk. You were saying something about how my boys should... do something they shouldn't..." spoke Mikoto.

"I was faking it. I have to act drunk to get the experience. I guess I took it a little too far. If it makes you feel better, Hinata slapped me really hard when I explained it to her. And you did hit me on the head really hard," replied Ookami.

"And if you ever do that again, I'll make sure to hit you so hard, you'll be like them for a week and a half!" spoke Mikoto, while pointing at the hangover plagued nin.

"That's a scary thought... really, it is..." muttered Ookami.

"And you better believe I would help her, Ookami-kun," spoke Hinata, in a deceptively sweet voice. She had walked in to help Ookami with breakfast.

"Okay, coffee is ready. How do you guys want it?" asked Ookami.

"Black!!" shouted all four at the table.

"Sure, four rounds of sober juice coming right up," replied Ookami.

Ookami filled up four coffee mugs, and set them on the table. The group took to the coffee immediately.

"I could use some coffee, too," spoke Mikoto.

"Uh, you don't want any of this coffee," replied Ookami.

"Why not?" asked Mikoto.

"Wait for it... san... ni... ichi..." spoke Ookami. At that moment, the four at the table ran for the nearest bathroom.

"What did you do to them, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Sober special. Coffee with the hottest hot sauce know to man, with some wasabi thrown in for extra flavor," replied Ookami, with a look of pride on his face.

"Anything else in there?" asked Deidara.

"Hmm... no, but I'm still working on it. I doubt I'll ever get it so that they don't puke and pass out," replied Ookami.

"Where did you learn to make something like this, Ookami-kun?" asked Hinata.

"Oh, I heard about the mixture from this guy at a bar. It was in a village outside of Kiri. I forget the name of the place, but the guy had been running his bar for a good thirty years. He said he had the cure for hangovers. I just smelled the stuff, and it almost made me nauseous. It was some powerful stuff to be sure. He didn't tell me what he put in his, but he gave me an idea of how it works. Forcefully purges the system of alcohol and it's associated toxins. Works like a champ, but..." explained Ookami, as he held up a really thick jar, "...the hot sauce is so potent that it often eats through what I put it in. This jar seems to hold up pretty well, but the lid and seals keep getting corroded."

"Where did you learn to make something like that!?" shouted Mikoto.

"Oh, one of the things tou-san left behind for me," replied Ookami, as he put the jar back into the refrigerator.

"Ookami!!" came a voice.

"That can't be good..." muttered Ookami.

Pein entered the kitchen, and stared straight at Ookami.

"I don't suppose you could tell me why there are three Uchihas and a shark passed out in the bathroom, could you?" asked Pein.

"Sober juice," replied Ookami.

Pein just looked at Ookami. He pulled out the jar again. Pein noticed the corroded lid.

"You gave them that?" asked Pein.

"I put it in their coffee... no Tobi!!" shouted Ookami.

"Tobi wants coffee!!" The masked-nin drank a mug before Ookami could stop him.

"Spicy!!" shouted Tobi.

"What..." muttered Ookami.

"Eh? Let me try that..."

"No Deidara!! Trust me, you don't want to!" shouted Ookami.

Tobi ran off into the living room, leaving Ookami to wonder how he could still stand. His doubts about the strength of his concoction were relieved when the group heard a loud thud. Tobi had fallen, and passed out.

"_Stupidity has a price, eh Madara-sama?" _Ookami thought to himself.

Hidan came from his ritual room, and noticed Tobi passed out on the floor. He kicked him a couple times, but he didn't move.

"It's a miracle, Jashin-sama!!" shouted Hidan.

"What did Jashin do for you this time?" asked Kakuzu, in a sarcastic tone.

"He killed Tobi," replied Hidan.

"Eh?" Kakuzu kicked Tobi. He didn't respond. Kakuzu looked at Hidan, then Tobi again. He got on his knees, and bowed his head.

"Hail Jashin!!" shouted Kakuzu.

"Hey guys, while I would love to say Jashin killed him, he's just suffering the effects of my special sober juice," spoke Ookami.

"Damn, well, he'll be out of it for a while, right?" asked Hidan.

"I'm not sure. He didn't react the normal way, so I can't say," replied Ookami.

"What is the normal way?" asked Kakuzu.

"He should be passed out on top of the crapper next to the Uchihas and the shark," replied Ookami.

"Oh, that sober juice. Did he give you the recipe? I kept trying to get it out of him. I could have made a killing if I was able to make and sell it," spoke Kakuzu.

"No, it's just a best guess. Made with the mother of all hot sauces, and some wasabi," replied Ookami. Ookami pulled out the jar, and Kakuzu immediately understood.

"Powerful shit, that is. I've been subjected to it on more than one occasion. It gets the job done, though," spoke Kakuzu.

"Yeah. Hidan, you think drinking is shameless, and all, right?" asked Ookami.

"Only when overdone. I drink, but I don't like getting drunk," replied Hidan.

"Well, this stuff is the ultimate punishment for drinking too much. Cool, huh?" asked Ookami.

"That's one way of looking at it," replied Hidan.

"What did you put in that coffee!!" shouted an angry Sasuke.

"Sober juice. I bet you feel much better, right?" asked Ookami.

"Well... yeah... actually... asshole..." muttered Sasuke.

"What was that last part?" asked Ookami.

"I said you're an asshole!" shouted Sasuke.

The young Uchiha found himself getting a backhand from his mother.

"That's not how you talk to someone who cured you from your hangover!" shouted Mikoto.

"Oww..." muttered Sasuke.

"Didn't you promise that girl you were going to head back for Konoha?" asked Ookami.

"Oh yeah, I guess I should get going," replied Sasuke.

"Hang around for a little while longer, I'll take you back with Hinata. It's to your advantage; the grunts might do something stupid like pick a fight with you, or something," spoke Ookami.

"You don't think I could beat some lousy grunts?" asked Sasuke.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure you would kick their asses. I'm concerned for them, not you," replied Ookami.

As the group finished up with breakfast, Zetsu returned from his hunt for the sanbi. Ookami and Deidara had big grins on their faces upon seeing the plant man.

"So, did you find it, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Yeah, I found it. The sanbi is in the coastal region on the border of Kaze and Kawa. You can't miss it," replied Zetsu.

"Great, looks like we're going on a mission," spoke Ookami.

"So, going to pounce on another jinchuuriki, are you?" asked Yugito.

"The sanbi is still without a host," spoke Zetsu.

"I was going to ask you about that, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I still don't like the idea," replied Yugito.

"Well, you still have to come with us. You don't have to fight, or anything. I can have bunshin look over you if you don't want to watch the fight," spoke Ookami.

"Fine," spoke Yugito.

"What are you going to do with the bijuu once you get them?" asked Mikoto.

"I'll use them to achieve world peace," replied Pein.

"Really?" asked Mikoto.

"Hai," replied Pein.

"Then why is it that so many are against you?" asked Mikoto.

"It's a matter of means to an end. Our means aren't those agreed to by other nations," replied Pein.

"Oh..." muttered Mikoto.

"Hey, leader, what role do you want me to serve?" asked Shisui.

"Hm? You aren't returning to your home village?" asked Pein.

"I kind of killed him. It would be odd if he came back from the dead," spoke Itachi.

"Oh... I dunno... I guess you can join the guards at the eastern gate. Konan, could you grab a hitai-ate out of the office?" asked Pein.

Konan emerged from the office with two hitai-ates. One with a scratch, the other without.

"Why two?" asked Shisui.

"While you're at the gate, you wear this one," spoke Pein, while holding up the hitai-ate without the scratch. "When you're acting in the village, you wear the other one. This is the symbol for my faction. Until we've fully shut down Hanzo's forces, you'll need to wear this one."

"I see... wait, you overthrew Sanshouuo no Hanzo?" asked Shisui.

"Single-handedly," spoke Konan, with a big grin on her face. "It was quite the fight to watch."

"The sannin couldn't beat him combined... now I see why you're the leader," replied Shisui. He put on the hitai-ate without the scratch, and made his way for the gate. Konan used her ability to deliver a message to those at the gate about their new guard.

"Well, that takes care of that. I take it you two are off to take the sanbi?" asked Pein.

"Hai," replied Deidara and Ookami.

"Very well, I'll be waiting to hear word from you. There is a base along the coast closer to Hi no Kuni. Zetsu, provide them with a map of the location," spoke Pein, "head straight in, and be careful not to gain the attention of any shinobi that may be in the area from other villages."

Deidara and Ookami nodded. The two got their supplies gathered. Each made sure to have plenty of clay on hand.

"Shall we?" asked Ookami.

"Let's get going, hm," replied Deidara.

The two made a couple of clay sculptures, and tossed them into the air. Deidara made a bird, while Ookami chose to make a dragon.

"Dragon today?" asked Deidara.

"Yeah, I'm in a dragon kind of mood," replied Ookami.

"So, which one of you am I riding with?" asked Sasuke.

"Deidara. Try to make sure Yugito doesn't kill him," replied Ookami.

"Fine," spoke Sasuke.

"Okay, first stop, Konoha," spoke Ookami.

"Make sure all belongings are secure, and make sure not to hang anything over the side of the bird, hm. Let's hit the skies!!" shouted Deidara.

The group sped off towards Konoha. Mikoto was watching from the balcony.

"Be sure to visit often!!" shouted Mikoto.

"He better be nice to that girl," spoke Itachi.

"I agree. I want my sons to be gentlemen," replied Mikoto.

"He can't help me restore the clan if he can't be nice to a girl," spoke Itachi.

Itachi got a lump on his head for the comment.

The group heading out of Amegakure quickly crossed the border into Hi no Kuni, and sped on their way to Konoha.

"So, this is the first time you've been in your village for a while, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Yeah. What of it?" asked Sasuke.

"Just making conversation. You should loosen up some, hm," replied Deidara.

"I have to agree with him. No one is going to want to be around you if you keep that kind of attitude," spoke Yugito.

"Wanna bet? I can only imagine how my 'fans' will be more than happy to see me. If I asked them to jump, they would ask me how high. Not to mention they would be more than happy to help me restore the clan," replied Sasuke, with a smug grin on his face.

"Can I kick him off?" asked Yugito.

"We should probably let him get back to the village, hm. Besides, he's a missing-nin, they'll probably kill him on site," replied Deidara.

"Yon don't know my village very well. They adore me, because I'm the last Uchiha that has any kind of loyalty towards the village," spoke Sasuke.

"You are a missing-nin, dumb ass!! You forget that!?" shouted Ookami.

"You would be surprised how quick they would be to accept me," replied Sasuke.

"Geez, you were much easier to get along with last night when you were drunk," spoke Ookami.

"He's better when he's drunk?" asked Yugito.

"Yeah, he was almost a person," replied Ookami.

"Wait... I'm a better person when I'm drunk?" asked Sasuke.

"Did I stutter?" asked Ookami.

"Damn... that's kind of depressing, now that I think about it..." muttered Sasuke.

"Maybe you should try not being such a stuck up jerk?" asked Yugito.

"Grr... yeah, maybe..." replied Sasuke.

The group made it into Konoha. They figured it would be best to drop by the Hokage's office. They parked themselves right outside Tsunade's window. They were surrounded by ANBU seconds later.

"Easy, boys, we don't want any trouble. Just want to talk to your Hokage about something," spoke Ookami.

"Fine, come with us," replied one ANBU.

"Don't try anything," spoke another ANBU.

The group was led into the office of the Hokage. Tsunade was actually awake and running through her paperwork, rather than passed out with a bottle of sake nearby.

"Akatsuki? To what do I owe this pleasure?" asked Tsunade.

"We found something you lost, hm," replied Deidara, as Sasuke stepped forward.

"Uchiha Sasuke? Well, what do you have to say for yourself. Choose your words carefully; they'll decide whether or not I send you off into a meeting with Ibiki," spoke Tsunade.

"Well, I decided to come back to be a shinobi under Konoha again. I got all I could out of Orochimaru. I really don't want to be his next body. Once they captured him, I decided I was done with him. And once I had a nice talk with Itachi, I decided I didn't want to kill him anymore, so, since I don't need to worry about revenge anymore, I figured I would put my skills to the test here," explained Sasuke.

"You're no longer interested in revenge?" asked Tsunade.

"He was out drinking with Itachi last night, if you can believe that," spoke Ookami.

Sasuke nodded in agreement.

"Very well, you will be under watch for a six month probationary period. I will test you tomorrow to see what rank to assign to you. Do anything to betray Konoha or try to leave again, and you'll find yourself in an ANBU holding cell," replied Tsunade.

"Very well. The guards will probably help keep the fan girls away," spoke Sasuke.

"Tsunade baa-chan!!" shouted a certain hyperactive blond.

"He doesn't know the meaning of subtle, does he, hm?" asked Deidara.

Tsunade nodded as Naruto entered the room.

"Sasuke!!" shouted Naruto, as he ran up and hugged the Uchiha. Ookami and Deidara started to chuckle at the sight. Sasuke looked like it was taking all he had to keep himself from launching the blond into the nearest wall.

"_Well, at least _she's_ not here," _Sasuke thought to himself.

"Sasuke-kun!" shouted Sakura, as if on cue. She entered the office, and walked towards the Uchiha. However, she didn't run up and hug him, just smiled in appreciation of seeing him back.

"You're not going to yell at the baka for beating you to me?" asked Sasuke.

"No. I realized while you were gone that I should try to be less... annoying," replied Sakura.

"Oh... I don't suppose Ino and the others did me that favor?" asked Sasuke.

"I wouldn't announce your return to the village yet, if I were you," replied Sakura.

"Oh joy..." muttered Sasuke.

"Well, as much as I'd like to see how this little reunion goes, we have places to go and people to see," spoke Ookami.

"He's right, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Very well. I have a message for you to deliver to your leader, concerning what to do with Orochimaru," replied Tsunade. She quickly pulled out a scroll, wrote down a message, and sealed the scroll. She handed it over to Ookami.

"We'll deliver this to him upon our return, good day, lady Hokage," spoke Ookami.

The Akatsuki group jumped onto the awaiting clay creatures outside. Ookami dropped Hinata off at the Hyuga compound, and the group continued on their way towards Kawa no Kuni.

"That was rather amusing, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Yeah... I guess..." muttered Ookami.

"It's only been a couple hours, and you already miss her, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Something like that. You know, I thought I would be used to it by now," replied Ookami.

"Why can't Deidara be more like you?" asked Yugito.

"He's him, I'm me. He has his own appeal... I guess..." muttered Ookami.

"You guess?" replied Deidara.

"You should try being a little more respectful of people. Your chances with Yugito would go up if you did," spoke Ookami.

"He's right, you know," " replied Yugito.

"I'll try, then," spoke Deidara.

The group arrived at their destination, and scoped out the area looking for signs of the sanbi.

"You see anything, Deidara?" asked Ookami.

"There's not much to see. The beach is empty for the most part. It is getting close to sunset, hm. Border areas aren't fun places to party," spoke Deidara.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," replied Ookami.

"We should set up camp for the night," spoke Yugito.

"Good idea. Let's go a little ways inland. If the sanbi is around, we shouldn't alert it to our presence," replied Ookami.

"Agreed," spoke Deidara.

The trio set up a camp. Ookami and Deidara pulled out some food they brought along for the journey. Yugito used a katon jutsu to start a fire.

"Katon user? Funny, I thought you would be a raiton user, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I can use both. I often use katon jutsu to trap an opponent, and finish them off with one of my raiton jutsu," replied Yugito.

"I see. Simple, but effective," spoke Ookami.

"What other strategies do you employ, hm?" asked Deidara.

"I like to draw my opponents into areas rigged with traps. I try to fight in places I know well. When I had the nibi, my best bet was to fight in confined areas. I could cover areas pretty quick. That method has only ever failed me once," explained Yugito.

"Against the zombie twins, right? It's not easy to fight an opponent that comes back from the dead, hm. Even worse when one of them gets off on pain," replied Deidara.

"That guy really was creepy. And his mouth..." muttered Yugito.

"He has such a foul mouth for someone who is all about religion, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Why does he swear so much?" asked Yugito.

"I don't really know. He just does, hm," replied Deidara.

"Just like how you make that 'hm' sound," spoke Yugito.

"What are you talking about, hm?" asked Deidara.

"That 'hm' sound you make every other sentence you speak. You don't notice it?" asked Yugito.

Ookami startled to chuckle. He figured his partner was so used to it that he never really noticed.

"I don't make any sound," replied Deidara.

"Whatever," spoke Yugito.

The group went to sleep for the night. Ookami placed himself between Yugito and Deidara, and the trio drifted off into the sleep. The next morning, the group packed up their camp, and took to the skies. Deidara used his scope to look for the sanbi.

"See it yet?" asked Ookami.

"There's this strange guy down there... wait, that must him, hm. He appears human, but has three tails," replied Deidara.

"The bijuu have human forms. They have some features of the creature forms, though," spoke Yugito.

"You're helping us?" asked Ookami.

"You would have figured it out eventually," replied Yugito.

The group landed down in front of the sanbi. Yugito decided she would watch, but not fight.

"Hey, this is my place, find your own," spoke the sanbi.

"Your place?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, this is the personal spot of Kame Kawazaki, the best surfer ever," replied the sanbi. He was wearing swim trunks, and held a surfboard.

"You're kidding, right?" asked Deidara.

"No, I'm not. Now, get lost," spoke Kawazaki.

"You do know who we are, right?" asked Ookami.

"No, I don't... wait... black cloaks and red clouds? You're the Akatsuki. Damn, I thought I was able to avoid you guys," replied Kawazaki.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, you were able to fool our expert tracker, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Really?" asked Kawazaki.

"Really. He's never lost track of anything before. You busted his perfect record. Aren't you proud?" asked Ookami.

"I'd be happier if I had thrown him off for good. It's my fault. I just love this spot. It's the best place to catch waves, and I don't have to worry about anyone being around because it's a border area. No one would dare to mess with me, since I'm a demon. One look at me in my demon form, and they all run away scared. I don't suppose I would have such luck with you, would I?" asked Kawazaki.

"No, not really," replied Ookami.

"Fine... wait, who's the lady. She's hot. I haven't seen someone that good looking in a while," spoke Kawazaki.

"What?" asked Yugito.

"Hey, how about after I kill these losers the two of us head off to my little love shack. It's just a little further down from here," spoke Kawazaki.

"Excuse me?" asked Yugito, getting more and more irritated as Kawazaki continued to speak.

"Come on, once you go demon, you never go back. Did I mention you are hot?" asked Kawazaki.

Yugito looked furious over being treated like a piece of meat. Kawazaki didn't even seem to notice.

"Uh... Deidara... I think we should hide somewhere," spoke Ookami.

"Why, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Because the object of your affections is five seconds from killing the next thing that moves," replied Ookami.

"Oh... good point... should we tell her we need him alive?" asked Deidara.

"We'll just jump in if it looks like she's going to kill him... now then... oh shit, she's making hand seals... duck and cover!!" shouted Ookami.

Deidara and Ookami ran up the beach, and hid themselves over a small dune, watching to see what would happen.

"So, you doing some kind of kinky love jutsu?" asked Kawazaki.

Yugito smiled, and placed her hand on Kawazaki's chest.

"Yep, that's right, it's a love jutsu... called Raiton: Raiha!! _(Lightning Release: Thunder Wave)_" shouted Yugito.

Kawazaki was lit up like a Christmas tree when the lightning chakra went through his body. He fell back on the ground with an odd look on his face.

"Wow... that was awesome..." muttered Kawazaki.

"I'll show you 'awesome!'" shouted Yugito, as she made another series of hand seals.

"Raiton: Joushou Rai! _(Lightning Release: Rising Thunder)_"

Kawazaki was sent flying into the air as more lightning chakra was sent flying through his body. He stood up, and looked over the girl in front of him.

"You're not going to make love to me, are you?" asked Kawazaki.

Yugito's anger increased ten fold as she made more hand seals.

"Raiton: Raisou! _(Lightning Release: Thunder Spear)_" shouted Yugito. A spear of lightning chakra appeared in her hand. She threw it at Kawazaki. The demon thought he could block it with his surfboard. The chakra weapon went straight through, and pierced Kawazaki's body through the left side of his chest. Kawazaki dropped the board, and looked down at himself, as the weapon disappeared.

"Ouch... I guess you're in league with those two. Well, that's just fine. You want to play rough, I'll show you rough!" shouted Kawazaki.

"Geez, you think he would have caught on after the first attack," spoke Ookami.

"Hai, hm," replied Deidara.

Kawazaki placed his hands together in a seal, and began to concentrate his chakra.

"Mapou: Matou! _(Demonic Art: Demonic Ascension)_" shouted Kawazaki. Chakra surrounded his body, hiding his form. The chakra form began to increase in size until it was of a gigantic scale. The chakra subsided to reveal the full form of the sanbi.

"This is your last chance! Are you going to give me a chance, or not?" asked the sanbi.

"Um... uh..." stuttered Yugito.

"No means no, hm!!" shouted Deidara.

"Oh? Now you show up? You think you can stop me? Give it your best shot! No mortal has succeeded yet!" shouted the sanbi.

"I'll take care of this one. You guys just watch," spoke Ookami.

"Sure you don't want a little help, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Just give me some space, it's about to get ugly," replied Ookami, as he bit his thumb.

"You really are serious, hm?" spoke Deidara, as he called his bird. He and Yugito got on, and took off.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked the sanbi.

"I would worry more about me, if I were you. Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" shouted Ookami, as he slid his thumb down the markings on his left arm. His palm hit the ground, and smoke appeared. As the smoke cleared, Ookami appeared on the head of a giant, five tailed wolf.

"Hey, Urufu, want some turtle soup?" asked Ookami.

"I wouldn't mind! I am kind of hungry!" shouted the giant wolf.

"Well, I need this one alive, but feel free to trash him to within an inch of his life!" replied Ookami.

"It would be my pleasure," spoke Urufu.

"Suiton: Suihou no Jutsu! _(Water Release: Water Canon Technique)_" shouted the sanbi. A geyser of water emerged from it's mouth.

"Oh, please, two can play this game. Suiton: Shihou no Jutsu!" shouted Urufu. A geyser of water emerged from his mouth, and met the one emerging from the sanbi. The two attacks canceled each other out.

"So that's what his summons can do, hm," spoke Deidara.

"You didn't know?" asked Yugito.

"He's never had to use one before. It is strange that it has five tails, though, hm. It's not the gobi... I'll have to ask him about that later, hm," replied Deidara.

"A suiton user, eh? This should be fun!" shouted the sanbi.

"Well, you're half right. Actually, the members of my pack have a kekkei genkai, setsuton _(snow release)_. Want to see it?" asked Urufu.

"Setsuton? Sounds harmless to me!" shouted the sanbi.

"You'll see just how harmless. Setsuton: Suisetsu no Jutsu! _(Snow Release: Snow Storm Technique)_" shouted Urufu.

Clouds began to form. A steady snow started, but quickly turned to a full on blizzard, as wind began whipping the snow around, blinding everyone.

"What is this?" asked the sanbi.

"Can't see us? We can see you!" shouted Urufu.

"You'll love this next part. Sogekigan!" shouted Ookami.

"Eh? Now what?" asked the sanbi.

Ookami used his eyes to pick out the sanbi, and found vulnerable points along the bottom of the creature. Ookami began to make several clay creatures, and sent them out. They all hit their mark. The sanbi roared as a result.

"Don't like that too much, do you?" asked Ookami.

"Now I'm pissed off!!" shouted the sanbi.

"Gee, and I thought he would have been pissed after your first attack, hm," spoke Deidara.

"For a bijuu, he sure is dumb, isn't he? Nibi was so much smarter," replied Yugito.

"Suiton: Hajouriki! _(Water Release: Surfing Turtle)_" shouted the sanbi. A large turtle form of water appeared, and ran in the direction of Ookami and Urufu.

"Oh joy... well, are we hanging ten, or what?" asked Ookami, as the water based attack raced towards the pair.

"Nah, I have a better idea. Setsuton: Hyouketsu Fuu no Jutsu! _(Snow Release: Freezing Wind Technique)_" shouted Urufu.

Urufu took in some air, and exhaled a bone chilling wind. The watery turtle form was halted in its tracks. It became nothing more than a frozen sculpture.

"Impossible!!" shouted the sanbi.

"Not quite. It's time to finish this one. Urufu, got another blast of air? I think it's time we turn up the heat," spoke Ookami, as he began feeding his hand mouths water.

"I get where you're going. Fuuton: Daifuu no Jutsu! _(Wind Release: Typhoon Technique)_" shouted Urufu.

"Katon: Kaenhoushaki! _(Fire Release: Flame Thrower)_" shouted Ookami. The two attacks combined into a blast of intense fire that melted the ice statue, and severely burned the sanbi. It fainted from the attack.

"Score one for Team Wolf!!" shouted Ookami.

"Are you sure I can't eat him?" asked Urufu.

"No. Leader-sama would kill me," replied Ookami.

"You mean the leader of Akatsuki? Meh, fine. See you later," spoke Urufu.

"Wait... uh... could you help me haul the thing down the coast? Kind of need to seal the thing into this statue... yeah..." spoke Ookami.

"Gah... fine... but only because..."

"Yeah, I know, because I'm so great... he he..." spoke Ookami, cutting off Urufu.

"Oh, right... fine, oh great master," replied Urufu.

Urufu grabbed the sanbi with one of his tails, and began pulling him down the coast. Deidara and Yugito followed closely by. Ookami summoned his dragon to fly overhead, not wanting to leave it behind. The group went down the coast, and found the cave Pein told them about before.

"Huh... he sure did prepare. He made it large enough for us to get the big boy in here," spoke Ookami.

"Leader-sama is prepared for all things. You should know that by now, hm," replied Deidara.

The group entered the cave. Ookami had Urufu place the sanbi in the middle of the cave. Pein's shadowy form stood in the middle of the room, awaiting the arrival of the group.

"You got down here rather quickly. I wasn't expecting you for another day," spoke Pein.

"This baka wasn't worth the time. Yugito was able to give him a beating while he was in his human form, hm. Ookami and his friend took care of the rest," replied Deidara.

"I see. Very well. We shall begin the ritual," spoke Pein.

The ritual commenced. Urufu and Yugito watched as the sanbi was sealed into the statue. Once the ritual was complete, the projections of the other members disappeared, leaving Ookami, Deidara, Yugito, and Urufu alone.

"Well, that was rather interesting. Looks rather uncomfortable. Glad I'm not one of the ones you seek," spoke Urufu.

"About that... why five tails, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Well... um... er..." stuttered Urufu.

"It's a show of his power. Five tails is the highest. He's the boss of the wolf summons. There's only one with five tails, a couple with four, some more with three, a lot with two, too many to count with one," explained Ookami.

"Oh, that makes sense, I guess, hm," replied Deidara.

"All of them have the kekkei genkai. There ability to tap into it depends on the number of tails," spoke Ookami.

"So a little one couldn't create a blizzard, right?" asked Yugito.

"Not on that scale, anyway," replied Ookami.

"Are there any people with the kekkei genkai, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Uh... no, not that I'm aware of... yeah..." muttered Ookami.

"I guess we should head back now?" asked Yugito.

"Yeah, that would be a good idea. Thanks for all the help, Urufu," spoke Ookami.

"No problem. Try to make sure the next one is more of a challenge," replied Urufu. He disappeared into a cloud of smoke. The Blast Brothers called their flying sculptures, and took off for Amegakure. At the time they arrived, the members of Akatsuki were preparing for dinner.

"Ah, you're just in time," spoke Pein.

"There's enough for us, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Yeah, I sensed you guys getting close, so I asked Mikoto-san to make enough for you," replied Pein.

"Alright! What are we having?" asked Ookami.

"A Uchiha specialty, Flaming Salmon!" replied Mikoto with a big grin on her face.

"Tobi likes home cooking!"

"Don't we all?" asked Kisame.

"There was that time I made shark fin soup..." spoke Itachi.

"It wasn't just Kisame that threw up. You can't cook to save yourself," spoke Konan.

"I guess the cooking skills weren't passed down, were they?" asked Ookami.

"I got the strength and intelligence... not the cooking skills," replied Itachi.

"Does that mean that kid brother of yours can cook, hm?" asked Deidara.

"I dunno, ask Orochimaru," replied Itachi.

"Oh, speaking of Orochimaru, I have something for you, Leader-sama," spoke Ookami, as he pulled out the scroll Tsunade gave to him.

"What's this?" asked Pein.

"A message from Tsunade, Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato," replied Ookami.

Pein took a look at the scroll.

"She wants Orochimaru. Too bad we can't cough up someone who knows too many secrets about us, including our base," spoke Pein.

"I guess we should tell her," replied Ookami.

"After dinner. I hate bringing business to the dinner table," spoke Pein.

The group finished their meal, and Ookami and Pein stood together to prepare to greet the Hokage.

"Okay, just follow me, Leader-sama. Yuutai Ridatsu no Jutsu, _(Astral Projection Technique)_" spoke Ookami. Pein waited for Ookami to solidify his form, then followed it to find himself in front of the Hokage.

"What is this!?" shouted Tsunade.

"Easy, we can't hurt you, and you can't hurt us while we're in this form," spoke Ookami.

"Ookami... is that you?" asked Tsunade.

"Correct. This is our leader. We're here to discuss Orochimaru," replied Ookami.

"He is right, I am Pein, leader of Akatsuki. I came here to tell you that we cannot hand over Orochimaru. He knows too many of our secrets. We cannot allow that information to be taken from him," spoke Pein.

"What about Kabuto? You let us have him," replied Tsunade.

"He knows little about our organization. Nothing you do not already know," answered Pein.

"I see. Very well, out of respect for our current position with regards to your organization, I will allow you to hold Orochimaru," replied Tsunade.

"Arigatou for your cooperation," spoke Pein.

"Just try to warn me before appearing in my office like this again," replied Tsunade.

"Fair enough," spoke Pein, as he and Ookami disappeared from the Hokage's tower.

"I need a drink..." muttered Tsunade.

Ookami opened his eyes to find Tobi in front of him. He could tell Tobi was smiling behind his mask.

Tobi, how did you get in here... oh, right..." muttered Ookami.

"Now we're even for that horrible concoction you made me ingest," replied Tobi, as Madara.

"I tried to stop you, baka! What did you do to me?" asked Ookami.

"He wrote all over your face with markers," replied Pein.

"Madara-sama?" asked Ookami.

"What?" replied Madara.

Ookami snatched off his mask while he wasn't looking.

"What? That's all? I have many more where that one came from," replied Madara.

"Oh, I forgot... guess I should give it back. Let me put it back on..." spoke Ookami.

Ookami slammed the mask on his face, knocking him out cold.

"Did you just do that!?" shouted Pein.

"What? He would have moved if I tried to punch him," replied Ookami.

"Well... yeah... but you do realize he's going to kill you when he comes to, right?" asked Pein.

"Nah, I'm safe. Besides the fact that it would arouse suspicion if I was suddenly killed off, I have an idea of what to do with him," replied Ookami.

Tobi/Madara woke up tied to the top of the tower of Akatsuki's base. He quickly freed himself, and let himself back in. Everyone began to laugh at him.

"Not exactly false advertising," spoke Kakuzu.

"What are they talking about?" asked Tobi.

Itachi held up a mirror. Tobi's mask had "dumb ass" written across the top, along with a cartoon-ish eye drawn in where his left eye should be.

"Tobi needs a new mask!"

The masked-nin ran into his room. He found Ookami and his girlfriend in there.

"Ookami... I'm going to fucking kill you!!" shouted Madara.

"Oh, but you look so cute," spoke Kuro in a cute tone.

"He made me drink his sober juice, Kuro-chan," replied Madara.

"I thought that story was kind of funny. Please don't be mad. I don't want you to kill Ookami. He was one of my better boyfriends over the years. Okay? If you don't hurt him, I'll..." Kuro walked up to Madara, and whispered some things in his ears.

"Okay, Ookami, you're off the hook. Now, could you please leave?" asked Madara.

"Yeah, sure, just put up a sound barrier," replied Ookami as he left.

Pein was waiting for Ookami outside.

"Did it work?" asked Pein.

"When you have power over a man's girlfriend, you got him by his balls," replied Ookami.

"Good thing you never dated Konan," spoke Pein.

"Something tells me it wouldn't help me if I did. I get the feeling she likes it when you rip arms off of people," replied Ookami.

"Yeah... she's the best woman ever," spoke Pein.

"Geez, you two are creepy sometimes, you know that?" asked Ookami.

"That's why I'm the leader," replied Pein.

"Ah, indeed," spoke Ookami.

_A/N: I finally revealed the wolf summons. Fun, no? Well, I'm sure you're waiting for me to explain how I came up with Urufu's name. Urufu is spelled as __狼__, just the same as Ookami's name. It means wolf, so it makes sense, right? By the way, Setsuton is different from Haku's Hyouton. Setsuton has more of a focus on wind than water. It still is a combination of water and wind chakra, though. One more thing. Anyone want to guess the real reason why the wolf summons have different numbers of tails? I'll answer guesses in review replies. Speaking of which, remember to review, or I'll send Urufu after you._


	10. Inferno

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; if I did, Ookami would in the series_

_A/N: I recently got a job, and I'm not going to be able to release as often as I had been. But, to make up for it, this is the longest chapter yet for this fic. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 10: Inferno**

"So, who gets to go after the next one?" asked Ookami.

"That would be Kisame," replied Itachi.

"Well, looks like you guys get to go out and do something other than killing random shinobi that happen to cross your paths, doesn't that sound like fun?" asked Ookami.

"Not really," replied Itachi.

"I guess beating the stuffing out of idiot ninja is probably more fun, but bijuu are almost a challenge," spoke Ookami.

"You have a point. It is nice to get a decent challenge. I was hoping Sasuke would put up more of a fight, but... well, I'm sure he'll get strong one of these days," replied Itachi.

"Or he'll be able to beat you when you're seventy," spoke Ookami.

"Try ninety," replied Itachi.

"Hey Itachi, you ready?" asked Kisame, as he was walking out of his room. He had the Samehada strapped to his back, and a handful of supplies sealed in some scrolls.

"I guess," replied Itachi.

"Great, well, let's get going. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go hunt down some fodder-nin!" shouted Kisame.

"You really like killing weaklings, don't you?" asked Ookami.

"It's not me, it's the Samehada. It's always hungry," replied Kisame.

"Oh... I guess that makes sense," spoke Ookami, while nodding his head.

"Ah, I see you haven't left yet," spoke Pein. He was walking out of his office with a hint of a smile on his face.

"Is there something we should know about our target? Zetsu didn't lose track of this one, did he?" asked Kisame.

"No, it's not that. I just realized it's been a while since the last great Akatsuki party. Too long. And while capturing the bijuu is important, I don't want everything to be all business, so how about you guys hold off on capturing the yonbi jinchuuriki, so we can have another Akatsuki bash?" asked Pein.

"You don't have to ask me twice!" shouted Kisame.

"Alright, time for another opportunity to help rebuild the clan!" shouted Itachi, while showing more emotion than he typically does, when sober.

"Then it's settled, you guys get a guest list going; Konan and I will go look for our party supplies. Oh, and Ookami, this is going to be casual party, so no cloak. If you insist on wearing the clouds, I have some shirts you can borrow," spoke Pein.

"There won't be any need for that, I'm not that in love with the ol' red and black... how many of those shirts can I have?" asked Ookami.

"I have over a hundred in my storage room, next to the spare cloaks. Here's the key, help yourself," replied Pein.

"Sweet!" shouted Ookami, and he ran through the base to Pein's storage room.

"Is he okay?" asked Kisame.

"Are any of us really okay?" asked Itachi.

"He's right, the only sane one around here is me," replied Pein.

"Oh, is that so?" asked Konan, who was heading into the kitchen to prepare some breakfast with Mikoto.

"Of course, you're the craziest of us, that's what I love about you so much," spoke Pein.

"While that is sweet, I'm the sane one, you're the crazy one. After all, I don't think I'm a god," replied Konan.

"Hey, that is perfectly sane! How many people do you know can control sev... six bodies at the same time, along with summons, and not have problems keeping up?" asked Pein.

"How about the Sage of Six paths?" asked Konan.

"He's dead," replied Pein.

"But he could do what you can; it's not like you're the only one," spoke Konan.

"Alright, you win," replied Pein.

"Damn..." muttered Kisame.

"If I ever get married, it's going to be to someone like her," spoke Itachi.

"You have mommy issues, don't you?" asked Kisame.

"I killed her and helped to raise her from the dead, why are you asking?" replied Itachi.

"Good point," spoke Kisame.

"Am I missing out on another random argument?" asked Sasori as he was leaving his workshop for the kitchen.

"Yeah, something like that. Decided to go human today?" asked Kisame.

"I heard about the party. It's hard to get laid when you're made out of wood hardened flesh," replied Sasori.

"How did you find out before us?" asked Itachi.

"It was my idea," replied Sasori.

"Yeah, we were talking about it last night," replied Pein.

"Oh, well, hey, sounds great," spoke Kisame.

"Hey, where's Ookami!?" shouted Hidan, as he emerged from his ritual chamber.

"He's raiding the storage room for Akatsuki shirts," replied Kisame.

"Those things? What is wrong with that kid?" asked Hidan.

"A lot of things I'm sure," replied Kisame.

"Hey, I only took three for myself. I plan on giving a couple to my friends. You don't mind, right?" asked Ookami, as he emerged from the storage room.

"No, not at all. Help yourself, I've been trying to get rid of those for some time," replied Pein.

"Why do you have so many?" asked Ookami.

"Well, at first I wanted to design a version of the uniform that was more friendly towards warm weather, but the cloaks just breathe so well that we never needed to use them... that, and the cloaks are more intimidating," replied Pein.

"Oh, that makes sense... I guess... I'm going to tell Hinata about the party. When is it?" asked Ookami.

"A few days from now, just enough time to gather all the guests we need," replied Pein.

"That'll do. Hey Itachi, you want me to invite your brother, or not?" asked Ookami.

"Only if he brings some girls with him. I'm not rebuilding the clan on my own," replied Itachi.

"Alright..." muttered Ookami.

"What is it with you? Okay, so you're pretty and everything, but seriously, do you have to go and stick yourself in every hot girl that winks at you?" asked Kisame.

"You're not going to complain to me about how you have a hard time finding a girl because of the shark thing again, are you?" asked Itachi.

"Uh... well... yes... but, I think I'd rather not," replied Kisame.

"Good, why don't you go and invite that shark loving girl you met a while ago?" asked Itachi.

"I haven't seen her since I left Kiri, but sure, why not? I might actually be able to find her this time around," replied Kisame.

"You looking for someone in Kiri? I don't suppose you could tell me who? I might be able to help you," spoke Ookami.

"That's right, I tend to forget you're also from Kiri, because you're so much like Deidara... her name is Mishiro Nana," replied Kisame.

"Mi... Mishiro... Nana..." muttered Ookami.

"Heard of her?" asked Kisame.

"The bitch almost killed me!!" shouted Ookami.

"So does that mean you know where I can find her?" asked Kisame.

"She almost killed me... you really think I'm going to find her for you?" asked Ookami.

"She's sweet once you get to know her," replied Kisame.

"Are you sure we're both talking about the same person? This psycho-bitch tried to cut me in two, and then froze me in a block of ice, and left me for dead. If it weren't for my katon jutsu, I'd be a chunk of ice right now!" shouted Ookami.

"Yep, that's her. Real short temper, but so accepting of people. She didn't care about the shark thing at all... and she loved killing! What more could you ask for?" asked Kisame.

"You're crazy," replied Ookami.

"You do remember where you are, right?" asked Itachi.

"Oh, right. Alright, I'll go look for her. She's close to the council, that's probably why you had such a hard time finding her," replied Ookami.

"You mean the council that protects that piece of shit Mizukage?" asked Kisame, with a tone of disappointment.

"Yeah, but she's only a member for the killing; she could care less about the Mizukage... I should know, because that's what she told me before she almost killed me," replied Ookami.

"Great!" shouted Kisame.

"Alright, let's get going Kisame. We have a lot of people to gather," spoke Itachi.

"Trying to go for the record?" asked Kisame.

"Yeah, I'm looking to hit fifteen," replied Itachi.

"Record?" asked Ookami.

"Number of women he slept with in one night. The record now is eleven," replied Kisame.

"And you still need to work on rebuilding your clan?" asked Ookami.

"Hey, last I heard, I have at least ten children out in the world somewhere. They all knew what they were getting into. You'd be surprised what some of these girls would do to help out a 'bad boy' like me," replied Itachi.

"I have ten grandchildren, and you didn't tell me!?" shouted Mikoto, upon hearing what Itachi said.

"Yeah... you can't see them, though. Something about the people of their villages not wanting an S-rank criminal hanging around," replied Itachi.

"Oh..." muttered Mikoto.

"He told them to find him after the kids become of age. That's about ten years away, though, right?" asked Kisame.

"Something like that. Can't rebuild the clan if they're all scattered, after all," replied Itachi.

"You mean you're serious about rebuilding your clan? It's not just a line you use to get in bed with someone?" asked Ookami.

"Is that so hard to believe?" asked Itachi.

"Hai," replied Ookami.

"Well, I am serious. And I hope that baka of an otouto I have is going to take it as serious as me. Now then, we're off," spoke Itachi.

"Wow... that changes a lot of things," replied Ookami.

"Not really, we have a gambling pool on if he's really serious. Want in?" asked Pein.

"I got a hundred on it not being true," replied Ookami.

"Okay, I'll be sure to tell Kakuzu," spoke Pein.

"You and your fucking gambling..." muttered Hidan.

"Don't like gambling?" asked Ookami.

"Or anything that deals exclusively with money," replied Hidan, "anyways, I was going to ask you about helping me with a ritual."

"Maybe after the party; it'll take a while to go to both Kiri and Konoha to gather guests," replied Ookami.

"Alright, but I'm going to hold you to that," replied Hidan, as he returned to his ritual chamber.

It was then that Deidara decided to join everyone, along with Yugito.

"Hey Deidara, the leader's throwing us a big party!" shouted Ookami.

"Are you serious, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Believe it!" shouted Ookami.

At the moment in time, Naruto, while busy with his training, sneezed for seemingly no reason at all.

"Someone must be thinking about you," spoke Kakashi.

"I hope it's Sakura-chan!" shouted Naruto.

Sakura let out a loud sneeze out of blue.

"Allergies?" asked Sasuke.

"Either that, or someone is thinking of me. Now then, let's get started!" shouted Sakura.

Ever since Sasuke returned, Sakura has been trying to defeat him in a spare. Sasuke told Sakura that was the only way he'd allow her to date him. She had yet to win, though she has gotten stronger.

"When is the party?" asked Deidara.

"A few days from now. We have to have time to gather guests and what not. I'm going to Konoha for Hinata and Itachi's brother, and Kisame asked me to go find this crazy chick in Kiri," replied Ookami.

"Sounds like fun, hm. Try not to get killed," spoke Deidara.

"Not coming along?" asked Ookami.

"My role for every party is to help Kakuzu with getting the booze, hm," replied Deidara.

"Oh," replied Ookami.

At that moment, Kakuzu came rolling out of bed, and into the kitchen. He saw Konan and Mikoto getting some coffee going.

"Hey, Kakuzu!" shouted Deidara.

"What is it?" grumbled Kakuzu.

"Big party, you know the drill," replied Deidara.

"Really?" asked Kakuzu.

Kakuzu looked over the Pein, who nodded to confirm what Deidara was saying.

"Hell yeah! Let's go right after breakfast!" shouted Kakuzu.

"Well, there's only two people left to tell," spoke Ookami.

"Zetsu already knows," replied Pein.

"Then that leaves..."

"Party!! Yay!! Tobi loves parties!!"

"Well, that takes care of that," spoke Ookami.

"Well, you should probably get going with your guest gathering. I need my storage key back, by the way. Time to get the place set up," replied Pein.

"You do that all on your own?" asked Ookami.

"Six bodies make it go by fast. They don't get out much, so I let them party," replied Pein.

In a hidden room below Pein's office, a man was smiling.

"I can't be left out either. I'll be damned if I'm going to let the paths have all the fun!" shouted a man with long black hair covering his eyes.

"I wonder what kind of eyes I should go for this time..." the man muttered to himself, while looking in a mirror. His eyes were also the Rinnegan.

"I think I'll do red this time. Henge!" shouted the man.

"Ah, looks good. Nagato, it's time to party!" shouted the man.

"Well, I guess I should get going. I have a lot of ground to cover," spoke Ookami.

"You should at least hang around for breakfast. Bad enough that crazy son of mine and fish face ran off on me," spoke Mikoto.

"Alright, I guess I can stay for breakfast," replied Ookami.

"You damn well better stay!" shouted Konan.

"Is this what it's like to have a mother? I can't remember too much about mine..." muttered Ookami.

"Don't look at me, I was an orphan of war," spoke Pein.

"My parents were killed in the Jashinist uprising," spoke Hidan.

"My parents were killed by Iwa-nin, spoke Kakuzu.

"My parents were killed by Kumo-nin," spoke Zetsu.

"My parents fell in battle to the Yellow Flash," spoke Deidara.

"My parents were killed in battle against the White Fang," spoke Sasori.

"We all come from broken homes, don't we?" asked Ookami.

"Tobi's parents were fun! They liked Tobi because he was always a good boy!"

"That explains a lot," muttered Ookami.

"Actually, Tobi's parents fell in battle, too," muttered Tobi, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I bet Kisame came from a messed up family, too," spoke Ookami.

"His father held a kekkei genkai, while his mother was killed for trying to protect him. The only reason Kisame is still alive is because the kekkei genkai wasn't passed on to him. That's one of the many reasons he helped stage the coup d'etat against the Mizukage," replied Pein.

"Damn. And that's why we're all members, right?" asked Ookami.

"Something like that," spoke Kakuzu.

"So, what is for breakfast, anyway?" asked Ookami.

"Pancake special. I got plenty of fruit toppings while I was out yesterday," replied Mikoto.

"It's safe for someone as hot as you to go walking around here?" asked Ookami.

"We may be war torn, but we're not as run down as Otogakure," replied Pein.

Orochimaru sneezed in his cell. He blamed the dust and filth covering the Akatsuki holding cells.

"Besides, we have laws for such crimes against women, compliments of Konan," spoke Pein.

"Ah, that makes sense. I wouldn't want to piss off Konan," replied Ookami.

"No one does; she's scary when she gets mad. You should have seen what happened when one of Deidara's explosive displays went wrong. Accidentally lit Konan's cloak on fire. The as the first time I had to sew his arms back on," spoke Kakuzu.

"She asked you to rip his arm off, huh?" asked Ookami.

"No, she did it on her own," replied Pein.

Konan smiled at the memory.

"Wha..." muttered Ookami.

"Yeah, that's the usual reaction someone has when we tell that story," spoke Kakuzu.

"Alright, that's the part when I stop asking questions," replied Ookami.

"What, we have plenty more stories we could tell you. If you decide to quit, we wouldn't hold it against you," spoke Pein.

"Yeah right, you'd kill me. It would take more than some horror stories to get me to quit, anyway," replied Ookami.

"Alright, it's ready. You guys help yourselves," spoke Konan, as she and Mikoto sat down.

Everyone walked into the kitchen to prepare their pancakes. Ookami choose the blueberry topping. Hidan picked the strawberry, as did Pein. Kakuzu and Tobi went for the cherry. Sasori and Zetsu helped themselves to the banana. Yugito and Deidara decided on a whipped topping. The group sat around having their meal, talking about random things. Once breakfast was done, Ookami gathered a few supplies for his little trip.

"Alright, I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't start without me!" shouted Ookami.

"Yeah, yeah, just hurry back, we hate waiting, hm," replied Deidara.

"Isn't that my line?" asked Sasori.

"Leaving now..." muttered Ookami.

He prepared himself a clay bird, and flew off. His first stop was Konoha. Ookami opted to use his Shou disguise, and entered the village. He decided to go without the ninja gear; he was pretty sure a Kiri-nin running around in Konoha would draw attention. The first person he found was Sasuke. He was in the middle of a spar with Sakura.

"Hey, Sasuke!!" shouted Ookami.

"Huh?" muttered Sasuke. He was distracted long enough to take a hard punch from Sakura. He was launched over the Hokage's tower, and onto the Hokage monument.

"I win!!" shouted Sakura.

"Are there any normal kunoichi out there... other than Hinata?" muttered Ookami.

A sneeze came from the bushes nearby. Ookami pulled out a kunai, and threw it into said bushes, forcing Hinata out of her hiding place.

"Hi Shou-kun," spoke Hinata.

"How did you do that?" asked Ookami.

"I know your chakra well," replied Hinata.

"Wait... Shou? Where have I seen you before... wait, Hinata, aren't you dating that guy from Akatsuki?" asked Sakura.

"I am, see?" replied Ookami, as he released his henge. He was surrounded by ANBU seconds later.

"Geez, how do you people do that... oh wait, you're Sasuke's guards, aren't you?" asked Ookami.

He didn't receive an answer.

"That explains it. I knew you guys couldn't be that fast," spoke Ookami, "don't worry, I'm just here to invite some friends to a party. You should really stop being so jumpy around me. I'm only here all the time, you know," spoke Ookami.

"Fine, but know that we'll be watching you while you're here," spoke one ANBU, as the group of them left.

"Pests... it's not like I couldn't take them..." muttered Ookami. He found himself blocking a kunai with his katana at the comment.

"Alright, I won't bad mouth you guys!" shouted Ookami.

"So, there's going to be a party?" asked Hinata.

"Yep! And you're invited, of course. Pein figured it was about time to have an Akatsuki party. Oh, and Itachi said Sasuke can come, but only if he has some girls with him," replied Ookami.

"That won't be a problem. I finally beat him, which means he has to date me!" shouted Sakura.

Sasuke made his way back to the training grounds. He had a black eye, and was covered in dirt.

"I was distracted," spoke Sasuke.

"If you're that easily distracted, then you need help," replied Ookami.

"I'm not. It surprised me to hear a guy shout my name, rather than one of my fan girls," spoke Sasuke.

"Oh... I see. Well, anyway, we're having an Akatsuki party, and Itachi said you can come, but only if you bring some girls," spoke Ookami.

"We're going, Sasuke-kun," spoke Sakura.

"Right... you did beat me... alright," replied Sasuke.

"I think he wants you to bring more than one girl," spoke Ookami.

"He, if he wants to go crazy with restoring the clan, than fine. While I do share an interest in it, I'm not about to whore myself out," replied Sasuke.

"Oh..." muttered Ookami.

"That's right, you're a one woman..."

"That's why I have a rule. The only way I'll allow a girl to date me is if they can beat me in a spare. Sakura is the only one so far, thanks to you. Others are trying; I'm sure another few will manage. If I'm going to revive the clan, I'll need strong children," spoke Sasuke, cutting off Sakura.

"...man..." muttered Sakura, while looking like her world was turned upside down.

"Well, I'm sure Itachi would understand that... at least you're not gay from hanging around Orochimaru for too long. Let's go, then. Oh, and I have to stop by Kiri to pick up someone," spoke Ookami.

"Okay, Ookami-kun," spoke Hinata.

"Hey!! Sakura-chan!!" shouted someone.

"Oh man..." muttered Ookami.

"Hey, Ookami," spoke Kakashi, walking calmly behind Naruto while reading Icha Icha Tactics.

"Hey Kakashi, you read it all yet?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, you?" asked Kakashi.

"Oh yeah, the ending was great. I didn't see it coming. The author really has outdone himself," spoke Ookami.

"So, are we invited?" asked Kakashi.

"I wouldn't mind bringing you but..." replied Ookami, while looking at Naruto.

"What? Why are you looking at me?" asked Naruto.

"Hmm... meh... I don't suppose he would take no for an answer, would he?" asked Ookami.

"No, probably not," replied Kakashi.

"I'm going to need a bigger bird..." muttered Ookami.

Ookami increased the size of his bird, and took off for Kiri.

"Who are we picking up here?" asked Kakashi, while still reading.

"Mishiro Nana," replied Ookami.

"I see. Someone like that would fit in well at one of your parties," spoke Kakashi.

"Yeah... as long as she doesn't try to kill me again," muttered Ookami, as he let out a sigh.

"She tried to kill you, Ookami-kun?" asked Hinata.

"Yeah, I tried to kill the Mizukage, she tried to kill me," replied Ookami.

"Why are you bringing her to the party?" asked Hinata.

"Apparently, she's the only girl in the world who will date Kisame," replied Ookami.

"Why does that not surprise me..." muttered Kakashi.

"You met her before?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, she was quite the fighter. Our duel ended in a stalemate," replied Kakashi.

"Damn, she left me frozen in a block of ice," replied Ookami.

"That's what she did to me," spoke Kakashi.

"Ah... damn Hyouton Kekkei Genkai..." muttered Ookami, "they're attacks are so similar to those of the Setsuton my wolves have... it's so damn irritating."

"Setsuton?" asked Naruto.

"You remember Haku, right? His kekkei genkai was Hyouton. Setsuton is similar, but is more wind based," explained Kakashi.

"I see you know of it. Hyouton is the yin to Setsuton's yang. Hyouton leans more towards water, while Setsuton leans more towards wind. You know, I get pissed when people confuse the two," spoke Ookami.

"I'll keep that in mind," replied Kakashi.

The group made it to Kiri. Ookami went in under his Shou disguise again. He headed straight for the Mizukage's tower, and asked to see Nana. She appeared in a few moments.

"Ah, Mishiro Nana, long time no see," spoke Ookami.

"Have we met before?" asked Nana.

"Yeah, we have. Is there some place we can talk in private?" asked Ookami.

"Sure. But I should warn you, if you try to do anything, I'll kill you on the spot," replied Nana.

"Glad to see you haven't changed much," replied Ookami.

Nana took Ookami to a room in the middle of the tower. Ookami put up a sound barrier, and did a quick check for cameras.

"What? Have some big secret?" asked Nana.

"Yeah, I'm a member of Akatsuki," spoke Ookami, as he dropped his henge.

"See?"

"You... I killed you!!" shouted Nana.

"Yeah... about that, I got out of there thanks to this," spoke Ookami. He allowed his hands to consume some water, and shot fire out of them.

"Pretty cool, huh?" asked Ookami.

"Fine, you here for a rematch?" asked Nana.

"No, actually, I'm here to invite you to an Akatsuki party. Kisame kind of misses you and stuff..." muttered Ookami.

"You know Kisame? Right, Akatsuki. Okay, sure, I would love to see my shark man again," replied Nana with big grin on her face.

"Great, let's go then," spoke Ookami.

Ookami resumed his henge, and the pair left. Nana was quite surprised to see Kakashi.

"What is this? Meet people I thought I killed day!?" shouted Nana.

"Yeah, I guess so," spoke Kakashi, with his nose in his book.

"So, shall we head to the party place. Oh, and none of your are to tell anyone where our headquarters are. It wouldn't end well for any of you if you opened your mouths," spoke Ookami.

"Fair enough, we don't have reason to attack you. You start a war, and all bets are off, though," replied Kakashi.

"Yeah, I figured as much. Let's go!" shouted Ookami.

Ookami had to take a break about halfway between Kiri and Ame. He wasn't used to carrying so many people back and forth. The group made camp for the night, then continued on their way. Kakashi was a little surprised to see that Akatsuki was based in Amegakure. The group arrived, and Ookami led them in.

"Hey guys, I'm here. I brought my guests!" shouted Ookami.

"Oh, there you are," spoke Pein's human realm.

"I brought Kakashi and the kyuubi jinchuuriki. They ended up hearing me when I found Sasuke," explained Ookami.

"What is it with you and Konoha-nin?" asked Pein.

"I dunno, it started with Hinata, and... well, here we are," replied Ookami.

"Indeed. Well, it could be worse... you could be like Orochimaru... he almost ruined our last party. Never get Orochimaru drunk. He gets terribly perverted. He almost scared away all of our guests with that wandering tongue of his," spoke Pein.

"I don't want to know, I don't want to know!" shouted Ookami.

"Who is that?" asked Kakashi.

"Their leader... well, 'part' of him," replied Hinata.

"What do you mean?" asked Kakashi.

"Look around. All the ones with the orange hair are their leader," explained Hinata.

"Yeah, they used that to pull a nasty little prank on me when I first showed up," spoke Ookami.

"I just made it seem like there were six of us; all things considered, we could have done much worse to you," replied Pein.

"That doesn't surprise me..." muttered Ookami.

"Hey, where's Kisame!?" shouted Nana.

She walked over to Pein's human realm, and picked him up by the collar of the shirt he was wearing.

"Where is he!?" shouted Nana.

"Nana... you really shouldn't do that..." spoke Ookami in a panicked tone.

"What? If I want to know something, this is how I ask! So shut it!!" shouted Nana.

"Put me down," spoke Pein.

"Make me, you pierced freak!" shouted Nana.

Pein's human realm placed his hand on Nana's head, and made her fall unconscious.

"Much better," spoke Pein, as he went back to setting up things for the party.

"Does that happen a lot around here?" asked Kakashi.

"No, actually, that's the first time I've seen him do that. His usual threat is ripping the arms off of people," replied Ookami.

"Hey guys, we got the booze!!" shouted Kakuzu, as he came through the door with Deidara. The pair had several cases of beer.

"Is there more where that came from?" asked Ookami.

"Are you kidding? We have enough beer here to get the entire village drunk, hm," replied Deidara.

"And there's more, I got plenty of hard liquor. Feel free to help. There's more cases down stairs," spoke Kakuzu.

"This party is going to kick ass!! C'mon Kakashi!" shouted Ookami.

Ookami and Kakashi helped Kakuzu and Deidara with the booze. A good portion of the kitchen was full of beer and other alcohol. Kakuzu began putting the first round of beer in the fridge.

"Alright, all that's left now is the party food," spoke Kakuzu.

"Who's in charge of that?" asked Ookami.

"Konan and Mikoto. They should be back soon. Itachi and Kisame will be here in a few hours. I wonder how many girls they brought this time?" spoke Kakuzu.

"You want to start a betting pool on it, hm?" asked Deidara.

"You know I love a good bet. Hey everyone, we're placing a bet on how many girls Itachi is bringing with him! Who wants in!?" shouted Kakuzu.

"I got twenty on him bringing fifteen!" shouted Zetsu.

"Fifty on him bringing twenty!" shouted Sasori.

"I'll put thirty on him bringing around eighteen," spoke Ookami.

"I got thirty on him bringing twenty-five," spoke Deidara.

"I'll place forty on him bringing twenty-one," spoke Pein.

"Alright... I'll put in fifty on him bringing fourteen," spoke Kakuzu.

"You guys place bets on everything, don't you?" asked Kakashi.

"Everything of interest," replied Ookami.

"What a waste of money... thirty on him bringing twenty-three," spoke Kakashi.

"Hey, I know I probably should have asked this sooner, but does he use his Sharingan to trick girls into coming here?" asked Ookami.

"He probably could, but he doesn't need to. Taking off his shirt is just as, if not more, effective," replied Kakuzu.

"You're kidding, right?" asked Ookami.

"He's not. You should him see in action, hm," replied Deidara.

"And yet he's the heartless killer who wiped out his entire clan?" asked Ookami.

"You're not surprised, are you?" asked Deidara.

"No, not really," replied Ookami.

"Man whore..." muttered Sasuke.

"So, Yugito, after the party..."

"There's not enough alcohol in the world," spoke Yugito.

"... damn, hm," replied Deidara.

"You never learn, do you?" asked Ookami.

"It was worth a shot," replied Deidara.

"More like twenty shots," spoke Kakuzu.

"Amen to that," spoke Ookami.

"Food's here!" shouted Konan.

"Alright!" shouted Kakuzu.

"Hey, I just realized something... where's Hidan?" asked Ookami.

"Oh, him? He's busy with a ritual of some sort," replied Kakuzu.

"What kind?" asked Ookami.

"The only kind I would ever approve of," replied Kakuzu.

"Huh? Did I hear that right?" asked Ookami.

A scream coming from the holding cell gave Ookami his answer.

"He's not going to kill him, is he?" asked Ookami.

"No, but he's going to hate life for a little while," replied Kakuzu.

Hidan emerged from the holding cell as a bloody mess. He was covered in enough blood to make Sakura fell light headed.

"How is he?" asked Ookami.

"He passed out, but don't worry, he won't die," replied Hidan.

"Isn't it against your religion to leave him alive?" asked Ookami.

"Who said I plan on letting him live? I'm just going really slow about it. I want to enjoy this one," replied Hidan.

"No kidding, well, we have medic-nin here if you want some help," spoke Ookami.

"Fuck that; it takes all the fun out of it," replied Hidan, as he walked into his room to change.

"It's like pulling teeth to get him to let me stitch him up. There was this one time his arm was hanging on only by a ligament. I had to beg him him to let me stitch him up," spoke Kakuzu.

"Wouldn't you just rip it off the rest of the way?" asked Ookami.

"I would, but the leader forced me into it," replied Kakuzu.

"Makes sense," spoke Ookami.

A thud could be heard as Mikoto passed out. She held herself for as long as she could, but the sight of Hidan was too much for her.

"That's the first time she's seen Hidan like that, isn't it?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah... you would think seeing her clan die around her would prepare her for something like that," replied Konan.

"He he... I just got an idea for a prank. Get the smelling salts, I'll be back," spoke Ookami.

"Dare I ask?" asked Kakashi.

"I'm curious... let's see what he has in mind, hm," spoke Deidara. He got the smelling salts, and Mikoto got back up.

"Uh, that was a little rough," spoke Mikoto.

A loud scream could be heard coming from the direction Ookami went.

"What the Hell was that?" asked Kakashi.

"Hey, Mikoto! Look at this!" shouted Ookami, while holding Hidan's head.

"What the fuck! You cut my fucking head off for some fucking prank!!" shouted Hidan.

Mikoto stared at Hidan's talking, detached head for a moment, then walked over to Ookami, and slapped him across the face.

"It didn't work?" asked Ookami.

"It doesn't take me long to get used to such things... you might want to pick your girlfriend up, though," spoke Mikoto, while pointing at Hinata. Sakura was soon to follow. Even a medic-nin couldn't deal with such a sight. Kakashi dropped his book, but kept his composure.

"Serves you right. Hey, Kakuzu, I need you to fix me up," spoke Hidan.

"Right..." muttered Kakuzu.

"You should consider yourself fortunate that I enjoy pain," spoke Hidan.

"Oh, so if I hold you up by your hair, you won't complain?" asked Ookami.

"Asshole!" shouted Hidan.

"Relax, I was kidding. I'll help you with your rituals for the next month to make up for it," replied Ookami.

"You're the only one to offer him that after cutting off his head, hm," spoke Deidara.

"What do you mean?" asked Ookami.

"We've all done it at some point. It's too hard to resist," replied Deidara.

"Wow... you guys are a bunch of sick jerks... this organization kicks ass!!" shouted Ookami.

"Yeah, yeah, will you take me back to my body, now," spoke Hidan.

"Sure," replied Ookami.

Ookami and Kakuzu walked off towards Hidan's room. Mikoto tried to wake up Hinata and Sakura.

"I should have joined you guys instead of Orochimaru... what the Hell was I thinking?" asked Sasuke.

"I'd say you weren't thinking, but never mind that, hm. If you want to go see him, we have him in a holding cell. We can let you see him, on the condition that you don't kill him," spoke Deidara.

"I never want to see that snake freak again," replied Sasuke.

"I don't blame you. I had to be his partner. You think it was bad training under him? Don't make me laugh," spoke Sasori.

"You should have seen that freaks room. I burned everything in it when they gave it to me," spoke Ookami, as he, Kakuzu, and Hidan entered the room.

"I swear, you jackasses really piss me off sometimes," spoke Hidan.

"Alright, enough of that. We all had our laugh, now, let's finish setting this place up," spoke Pein.

"Alright, but first, I have to know... what's the best thing you guys have done with Hidan's head?" asked Ookami.

"Stuck him at the gate to greet guests for the chunin exam. We had a lot of heart attacks to treat that day," spoke Kakuzu.

"Who's idea was that?" asked Ookami.

"It was mine. Thought I would show everyone how great Jashin was... that was the day I learned allowing myself to get drunk was a bad idea," replied Hidan.

"That had to be fun, though. At least they didn't play catch with you," spoke Ookami.

"Actually, we all got so drunk that day... that was the next thing we did. We couldn't leave here, because of the exams going on, and we got bored... that day kicked ass!" shouted Kakuzu.

"Tobi liked playing with Hidan's head!"

"You guys get weird when drunk," spoke Ookami.

"I'm going to have a lot to take care of tonight..." muttered Mikoto.

"You could always join us," replied Ookami.

"Someone has to keep an eye on you guys, and make sure nothing happens," spoke Mikoto.

"Suit yourself," replied Pein, as he was hanging up some lights.

The party preparations came to their conclusion just as Itachi and Kisame came through the door. Kakuzu took notice, and waited to see how many were with the pair.

"Hey everyone! We're here!" shouted Kisame.

Itachi looked over at Kakuzu. A little smirk grew on Itachi's face.

"Seventeen," spoke Itachi.

"Hell yeah! I won!!" shouted Ookami.

"Beginner's luck..." muttered Kakuzu.

"Hey, you all bet too high, don't blame me," replied Ookami.

"It would have been twenty-two, but I apparently got the other five pregnant the last time we had a party," spoke Itachi.

"Damn..." muttered Kakuzu.

"Are you kidding?" asked Sasuke.

"I don't kid around," replied Itachi, "so how many girls did you bring?"

"One," replied Sasuke.

"Just one?" asked Itachi.

"Hey, you have your way, I have mine. If a girl can't beat me in a spare, than she's not allowed to date me!" shouted Sasuke.

"What's the fun in that?" asked Itachi.

"I want the Uchiha I bring in this world to be strong. I if I had one child, I could raise it to kick the asses of all your children at once," replied Sasuke.

"Oh, really now? I'll believe it when I see it," spoke Itachi.

"That's enough you two!" shouted Mikoto.

"Hai, kaa-san," replied Itachi and Sasuke in unison.

"Hey, Ookami, did you find her?" asked Kisame.

"Yeah, I found her. She's passed out on the couch. She tried to shake up the leader for information on your whereabouts," replied Ookami.

"Yep, that's her," spoke Kisame, as he walked over to where Nana was sleeping. Kisame got a huge grin on his face.

"Shark attack!!" shouted Kisame.

"What the fuck!?" shouted Nana.

Kisame was still smiling.

"Shark-chan!!" shouted Nana, as she embraced Kisame in a big hug.

"Shark... _chan_," spoke Ookami, as he began to chuckle.

Kakuzu and Deidara were starting to crack up. Zetsu was laughing. Konan thought it was cute. Pein was simply staring. The girls giggled, thinking the same thing Konan was thinking.

"Well, what are you all staring at? Let's get this party rolling!" shouted Kisame.

"Can't argue with that, let's get this party started, hm!" shouted Deidara.

"Tobi likes to party!!"

Pein walked over to his sound system, and started blasting music throughout the entire base. The kitchen had a spread of party food ranging from nachos, to pigs in a blanket, to deep friend onion blossoms and potato skins. It didn't take long for everyone to start raiding the beers.

"Hey, make sure you throw in a new one every time you take one out!" shouted Kakuzu, as he was downing a beer himself.

"Hey, Deidara, want to take some shots of this tequila?" asked Ookami.

"Sure, just let me finish this nacho, hm," replied Deidara.

Ookami pulled out a couple of shot glasses, and poured some shots. He was using double shot glasses.

"Ready? San... ni... ichi... bottoms up!" shouted Ookami, and he and Deidara took the shots. Deidara shook his head as it went down his throat.

"Hell yeah!" shouted Deidara.

"One more?" asked Ookami.

"I'm good for one," spoke Kakuzu.

"Alright," replied Ookami.

"I'll take one, too," spoke a man with dark hair covering his eyes.

"Haven't seen you before. Who are you?" asked Ookami.

"Nagato, now, hit me," replied the man.

"Alright, here we go. Ready? San... ni... ichi..." spoke Ookami. The group downed their shots quickly.

"That's the stuff!" shouted Kakuzu.

"This ain't half bad. The last tequila I had tasted like paint thinner. This stuff is pretty decent. Where did you get it?" asked Ookami.

"One of my bounty contacts. He runs his checkpoint out of a bar. He knows his stuff. Most of the liquor here came from him," replied Kakuzu.

"Not bad. I could go for another shot, who's up for one more?" asked Ookami.

"Hey, what are you guys drinking?" asked Naruto.

"No, kid, I don't even want to know what would happened if we got you drunk," replied Ookami.

"He's right, you know," spoke Kakashi, while downing a beer through his mask.

"How in the world... never mind. You know what, fine, you can learn the hard way. Let me grab another shot glass," spoke Ookami. He pulled out another shot glass, and poured another round.

"Let me count down this one," spoke Nagato, "san... ni... ichi..."

The group downed their shots. Naruto had a rather funny look on his face.

"What is this stuff... wow..." muttered Naruto. The young blond took two steps before falling to the ground.

"Okay, that was weak," spoke Ookami.

"Better for us, anyway," spoke Nagato.

"You know... I feel like I know you. Have I seen you somewhere before?" asked Ookami.

"No, don't think so," replied Nagato.

"Meh, fair enough," spoke Ookami.

"Time to hit the floor, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Help yourself. Try not to make a fool out of yourself," replied Ookami.

Pein had cleared out the living room to be used for dancing. It didn't matter how good anyone was, since it wouldn't be too long before everyone was too drunk to care. Deidara was jumping up and down like an idiot, not too unlike Tobi, who was doing the same with Kuro.

"When did she get here..." muttered Ookami, noting Kuro's presence.

"Hey, Ookami, want to try some of this?:" asked Hidan.

"Sure... what is it?" asked Ookami.

"Homemade, powerful shit. One shot is more than enough for me. Grab a shot glass," replied Hidan.

Ookami pulled out a couple shot glasses. Pein's animal realm decided he wanted in, so Ookami grabbed another glass. Hidan filled one up for the trio.

"Alright, here's one for Jashin!" shouted Hidan.

The three downed the shots. Ookami shook a little at the feeling. It was really sweet, and yet it burned at the same time.

"Whoa... this is some powerful stuff," spoke Ookami. A thud was heard as Pein's animal realm hit the floor.

"Another one bites the dust," spoke Hidan.

"You have to make some more of this stuff," spoke Ookami.

Out in the living area, Itachi and Sasuke were drunk enough to partake in a little contest.

"Alright ladies, you be the judge... for the strip off!!" shouted Itachi.

The girls in the room began to cheer. Sakura's voice could be heard over all the girls Itachi brought with him. Hinata slowly walked away, not wanting to have anything to do with what was going on.

"Ookami-kun," spoke Hinata, as she entered the kitchen.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, want some nachos? These are pretty good," replied Ookami, with a nacho in one hand and a beer in another.

"Uh... sure..." muttered Hinata.

"You alright?" asked Ookami.

"I'm not that great at parties," replied Hinata.

"That's all? Good, I thought you were still bugged about the thing with Hidan earlier," spoke Ookami.

"That was... real..." muttered Hinata.

"Yeah. He is immortal, after all," replied Ookami.

Hinata passed out on top of Pein's animal realm.

"Here we go again..." muttered Ookami.

A loud cheer could be heard coming from the living room. Sasuke and Itachi were down to their boxers.

"Ah Hell... if they take those off... shit!" shouted Ookami, and he quickly turned away.

"Take it off!! Take it off!!" shouted most of the girls in the room.

"No, don't!" shouted Mikoto.

She was a little late. Fortunately, no one had to look at the naked Uchihas for too long. The girls were all over them seconds later. Sakura was fighting off the herds to make sure no one claimed "her" Sasuke.

"Hey, you're hot," spoke Sasuke.

"That's the spirit, man! Go for it, otouto!" shouted Itachi.

"Damn, I've loving this, aniki!" shouted Sasuke.

"Hey, I want some, too. They look so tasty!" shouted Zetsu, right before he passed out.

"Fucking shameless!" shouted Hidan.

"Yeah, really. I get the feeling Sasuke is losing his virginity tonight," replied Ookami.

"Fucking whores..." muttered Hidan.

"Hey, wait, have you seen Kisame lately?" asked Ookami.

"Now that you mention it... haven't seen that Nana chick either," replied Hidan.

"I wonder... let's see if they're in his room," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah, sure," muttered Hidan.

The two walked down the hall, and pressed their ears to the door.

"Ride the wave, baby!" shouted a voice that sounded like Kisame's.

"Hell yeah, shark man!!" shouted a voice that sounded like Nana's.

"Okay, let's go before the mental images try to burn themselves into my mind!" shouted Ookami.

"Shit..." muttered Hidan, as he and Ookami returned the living area. The two walked past the herd heading for Itachi's room.

"I don't even want to touch that one," spoke Hidan.

"Hey, not that one!!" shouted Hidan, as the group almost entered his room.

"Good thing we caught them. I would have to hose down my room if they used mine," replied Ookami.

"I was doing them more of a favor than me. They hit the wrong button on my bed, and it would be a blood bath," replied Hidan.

"Shouldn't you lock the door?" asked Ookami.

"No use. If he thinks it's his room, he'll knock down the door. He almost got his ass impaled the last time he wandered in there while drunk," replied Hidan.

"Shit... I don't even want to know," spoke Ookami.

Ookami made his way back into the kitchen. Hinata had picked herself up, and was eating some potato skins.

"Hey, you alright?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah... I'll just have to get used to things like that," replied Hinata, with a smile on her face.

"Hey, Ookami," spoke Kakashi.

"What's up?" replied Ookami.

"Me, Kakuzu, and this Nagato guy here want to see who can take the most shots," spoke Kakashi.

"You know I'm in. What are we taking shots of?" asked Ookami.

"Whiskey," replied Kakuzu.

"Alright, let's do this," spoke Ookami.

The four began their contest. The bottle disappeared quickly, but all four remained steady. Kakuzu started rattling on about stories of his past, including his famous battle with the Shodai Hokage. Kakashi was listening to it like it was the best story in the world. Nagato and Ookami were buzzed, but still had their heads.

"I don't think I've felt it like this before," spoke Ookami.

"Everyone has a limit. I was curious to see what it was. I heard you've never been drunk before, and I couldn't believe it, so..." replied Nagato.

"Yeah, I have to admit, I was curious to see how far I could take it. Well, so much for that. Sure was some good whiskey, though," spoke Ookami.

"Ookami-kun... how many fingers am I holding up?" asked Hinata.

"Six," replied Ookami.

"Seven," replied Nagato.

"Uh..." muttered Hinata.

"I'm just kidding, three," spoke Ookami.

"I'm still seeing seven," spoke Nagato.

"Okay, the joke's only funny the first time," replied Ookami.

"Who's joking? Hey, what's with the ceiling... it's spinning..." muttered Nagato, right before he hit the floor.

"Man down," spoke Ookami.

Just as Ookami and Hinata waked away, Nagato got back up.

"Had to take the act to the end. Just couldn't resist," spoke Nagato.

"Damn... well, I'll give you this, you sure can hold your alcohol. Look at Kakashi and Kakuzu. They're wasted," replied Ookami, while pointing at the pair. The two were playing janken like it was the most important thing in the world.

"That is pretty bad. At least it isn't a repeat of the time when Kakuzu was so wasted, he started handing out money to the girls Itachi brought over," spoke Nagato.

"Wow... he must have been pretty trashed to do that," replied Ookami.

"Yeah. He cried like a baby the next day. We all had a good laugh," spoke Nagato.

"Why do you know so much. I've never seen you before. You come to all their parties?" asked Ookami.

"Of course. You know why?" replied Nagato.

"Why?" asked Ookami.

Nagato walked over the Ookami, and whispered in his ear, "It's because I'm Pein. This is my real body. Don't tell anyone, not even Madara."

"Oh... okay then... but..."

"Henge," spoke Nagato.

"Oh, that's answers that question then," replied Ookami.

"What does that answer?" asked Hinata.

Nagato told Hinata, figuring Ookami probably would anyway.

"Oh..." muttered Hinata.

"Yeah, I like to keep low most of the time, but I can't miss a party. What would be the fun in that, right?" replied Nagato.

"You have a point there. The only other time you show is when you're banging Konan," spoke Ookami.

"I do share her bed, of course. I'll be damned if I'm going to be married and sleep in the basement," replied Nagato.

"You have a point... whoa, what happened to Mikoto?" asked Ookami.

The trio walked over to where Mikoto was sitting. Yugito was sitting next to her, trying to get her back up.

"She's not coming back, not for a while. And when she does... she's going to have one Hell of a hangover," spoke Yugito.

"What did she drink?" asked Ookami.

"Hidan's drink," replied Yugito.

"How much did she drink?" asked Nagato.

"All of it. She was going on about how her sons were shaming her, and how she couldn't take it," replied Yugito.

"How long did it take for her to pass out?" asked Ookami.

"A couple of minutes, why?" asked Yugito.

"She could give you two a run for your money," spoke Hinata.

"Yeah, she could. I would expect no less from the woman who gave birth to Itachi," replied Ookami.

"Hey, anyone see Tobi?" asked Hidan.

"No, I don't see him anywhere. He's probably telling Kuro how much of a good boy he is, or something," replied Ookami.

"Yeah... too much information," replied Hidan.

"Right... bad enough we have Kisame and Nana... and the Uchihas and their girls... what a night," spoke Ookami.

"Hey, the night is still young. Plenty of food and alcohol left," replied Nagato.

The party continued on for several more hours. By the time it was over, most of the Akatsuki were drunk or passed out. The only really sober one was Hidan. Ookami, Nagato, and three of the Pein's were buzzed. Konan and Hinata were mildly buzzed, as well. Ookami convinced Hinata a little alcohol wouldn't kill her. Most of the food was gone, and those still able to control themselves cleaned up what they could.

"It's hard to believe we cleaned out two thirds of the booze... in one night," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah, I hear you on that one. Most of it was Itachi and his girls, though. If I had his body, I'd probably try to revive my clan," replied Nagato.

"Really? I couldn't do it. I had such bad luck with women before Hinata and I got together. I couldn't handle more than one girl," spoke Ookami.

"That's good. I wouldn't want to have to share you," replied Hinata.

The group finished their clean up, and prepared for bed. Those who passed out were taken to their rooms. Pein's god, demon, and Hell realms dragged the other three away. Ookami helped drag Kakuzu and Zetsu to their rooms. Yugito dragged Deidara back to his room. Ookami knew he wasn't going to need to make a bunshin that night. Ookami and Pein set up places for the Konoha-nin to sleep, except Sakura, who was still with Sasuke in Itachi's room.

"Well, that should do it," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah. Do I know how to throw a party or what?" asked Pein.

"You know how throw a party," replied Ookami.

"Glad to see there's someone else around now who can drink hard like I can. Goodnight, Ookami," spoke Pein.

"Goodnight Pein," replied Ookami.

Ookami headed over to his room with Hinata. It didn't take long for the pair to drift off to sleep. Ookami learned to put up a sound barrier, allowing to two to stay asleep throughout the whole night. The only active room was Itachi's room. He had his record to break, after all.

The next morning, Ookami was up preparing several rounds of sober juice. One by one, the Akatsuki members made their way into the kitchen. After having some sober juice, they promptly filled the bathrooms.

"Never fails," spoke Ookami.

"He he, that's what you get for drinking too much, Kakuzu!" shouted Hidan.

"Fuck you, you religious wack job!!" shouted Kakuzu from the bathroom.

"I'm glad I don't share sensations with my other bodies," spoke Pein.

"I hear you on that one. I'm sure those three will be up and running again soon," replied Ookami.

"Hey, why don't you see what happened to Itachi," spoke Pein.

"Yeah, sure," replied Ookami.

Ookami walked over to Itachi's room. He found the door was unlocked, and walked in. Itachi and his girls were still asleep. However, Sakura was riding Sasuke like there was no tomorrow.

"Hey, Ookami, you mind shutting the door? Unless you want tips, or something," spoke Sasuke.

"Sure... no problem..." muttered Ookami, as he promptly closed the door. He heard the shout of "Sasuke-kun" as he walked away.

"I shouldn't be surprised, but for some reason, I am..." muttered Ookami.

Ookami entered the living room to see Naruto waking up, with as bad a hangover as anyone.

"Why do I feel like this?" asked Naruto.

"It's called a hangover. I have the cure, though," replied Ookami.

"Really? Let me have it!" shouted Naruto.

"Sure, there's some in the pot in the kitchen..." spoke Ookami.

Within seconds, the young blond downed the entire pot. Ookami could only begin to chuckle as he ran for the nearest bathroom.

"Ah, nothing like taking advantage of the young and foolish," spoke Ookami.

"If we could get all the jinchuuriki to drink up this stuff, we would have them all in a month," spoke Pein.

"You got that right," replied Ookami.

Deidara walked into the room, being supported by Yugito.

"Hey sweetie, you finally up?" asked Ookami.

"Fuck... you... hm..." spoke Deidara.

"You want some sober juice?" asked Ookami.

"No thanks, I'm taking my hangover like a man," replied Deidara.

"Nothing wrong with that. Want some coffee?" asked Ookami.

"Extra strong, hm!" shouted Deidara.

Ookami set out to prepare another pot of coffee. Konan joined him, and the two began to fix up some after party breakfast. By the time they were finished, everyone, except the Uchihas and Sakura were up.

"We're not going to see Itachi, are we?" asked Ookami.

"He usually spends most of the day sleeping after one of his 'clan restoration' nights," replied Konan.

"I believe it. Thanks for teaching me how to make that sound barrier, by the way. The last thing I wanted was to have to be up all night hearing those two going at it," spoke Ookami.

"Those two? You mean Sasuke is...?" asked Kakashi.

"Caught him and Sakura when I went to see if Itachi was up," replied Ookami.

"What are Sasuke and Sakura-chan doing?" asked Naruto.

"Each other," replied Hidan.

"What?" asked Naruto.

"Did you get the talk?" asked Ookami.

"I got it from Ero-sennin... oh... damn it!" shouted Naruto.

"Plenty of other girls out there, kid," replied Ookami.

"Yeah... maybe..." muttered Naruto.

"Geez, kid, it's just one girl. Get over it. You have any idea how many girls I dated before I got together with Hinata?" asked Ookami.

"No..." muttered Naruto.

"A lot. You're still young, you have time," replied Ookami.

"Yeah, he's right. You have plenty of time, thanks to Ookami here, and his interest in reviving you after we suck the fur ball out of you," spoke Pein.

"Yeah, so don't worry about it," spoke Ookami.

"Were you and Hinata-chan having sex last night?" asked Naruto.

"No, I don't believe in sex before marriage," replied Ookami.

"That's good. At least there is one descent person around here..." muttered Mikoto.

"Hey, I don't either," replied Hidan.

"I believe it," spoke Ookami.

"Hey, anyone see Kisame and that Nana chick?" asked Zetsu.

As if on cue, Kisame and Nana emerged from Kisame's room. Both of them appeared to be quite content with themselves.

"Wow, I was beginning to think we would see the Uchihas before you," spoke Ookami.

"You guys didn't place bets on it, did you?" asked Kisame.

"Nah... probably could have, though," replied Kakuzu.

"Well, as soon as the younger Uchiha and his woman roll off each other, I'll take you back," spoke Ookami.

"You mind if I come?" asked Kisame.

"Yeah, sure, one more won't hurt... unless you're going to help," spoke Ookami.

"No... not until this headache goes away..." muttered Deidara.

"Figures... you can come, though," replied Ookami.

"Great. It's been a while since I was out near Kiri. I wonder if the place has changed much?" asked Kisame.

"It's still a real shit hole," replied Nana and Ookami in unison.

"You know what, we're replacing that Mizukage, as soon as we are done with our other goals," spoke Ookami.

"Amen to that," replied Kisame.

The group had a nice hangover relieving breakfast, compliments of Konan and Ookami. By the time they were finished, Itachi and Sasuke and Sakura and the other girls emerged from Itachi's room. Itachi looked happy with himself.

"Seventeen! New record!" shouted Itachi.

"Thank Kami you didn't say eighteen," replied Ookami.

"Why?" asked Itachi.

"Eighteen would mean a child custody dispute later on between you and Sasuke," replied Ookami.

"Pinky isn't my type... too petite," replied Itachi.

"Oh, I see," spoke Ookami.

"I like them strong; Sakura's just fine. She's way better than any of these girls," spoke Sasuke.

"What did you say!?" shouted one of the girls.

"You heard me," replied Sasuke.

"Why you..." spoke the girl.

Sakura sent the girl flying through a wall. Sasuke smiled.

"Anyone else?" asked Sakura.

The other girls were too scarred to say another word.

"Relax, ladies, you're just right for me," spoke Itachi.

The girls all took turns hugging Itachi, while everyone else just stared.

"I guess you better get those girls home, Itachi," spoke Pein.

"Yeah, that would be a good idea. See you all later. C'mon ladies," spoke Itachi.

Itachi and his group left. Itachi picked up the girl Sakura hit, and threw her over his shoulder.

"Never a dull moment," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah, really," spoke Pein.

"Well, I guess I better get everyone else on their way. I'll see you later," spoke Ookami.

"Alright, try not to cause a ruckus," replied Pein.

Ookami took off with the remaining guests, and Kisame. He decided to go with a dragon, and took off for Konoha.

"So, you guys have a good time?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, it was nice to get away from the village for something other than a mission," spoke Kakashi.

"I can't remember anything..." muttered Naruto.

"You passed out after you first drink, kid," spoke Kisame.

"I did?" asked Naruto.

"Yes, you did. You can't hold liquor to save yourself," replied Ookami.

"Oh..." muttered Naruto.

Hinata chuckled. She still laughed at Naruto's antics, even though she was in love with Ookami.

"Alright, first stop, Konoha," spoke Ookami.

It didn't take too long to make it back to Konoha. Sasuke's ANBU guard jumped Sasuke right away. Ookami walked Hinata back to the Hyuga compound, then took off towards Kiri with Kisame and Nana.

"You think we'll get to see each other again soon? I don't want to wait as long the next time, Shark-chan," spoke Nana.

"He he... Shark-_chan_... he he..." muttered Ookami.

"Watch it!!" shouted Kisame and Nana.

"Hey, you do anything to me, and we all crash and burn," spoke Ookami.

"You're lucky for that!" shouted Nana.

As the two approached Kiri, they saw an interesting old man.

"Hey, Kisame... isn't that the Yonbi jinchuuriki?" asked Ookami.

"Oh... so it is," spoke Kisame.

"Shouldn't we, like, oh, capture him, or something?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah... probably," replied Kisame.

"Great, I'll provide air cover. You just try not to get your ass kicked," spoke Ookami.

"Hey, I'll be damned if I'm just going to watch this," spoke Nana.

"Well, since we don't have Itachi here, I guess you could be his partner on this outing. Have fun guys, and remember, if you get messed up, I'm _not_ a medic-nin," replied Ookami.

"He's just an old man; nothing for us to fear," spoke Nana.

"You've never fought a jinchuuriki before, have you?" asked Ookami, "with the exception of the kyuubi brat, none of them are pushovers."

"Meh, whatever," replied Nana.

"You've been warned. Have fun, you two," spoke Ookami.

Kisame and Nana hopped off of Ookami's dragon, and landed before the yonbi jinchuuriki.

"Who are you?" asked the man.

"Hoshigaki Kisame of Akatsuki. My mission is to capture you. It would be nice if you would come willingly. If not, I'll be forced to fight you," replied Kisame.

"Very well, if you want an answer, then here it is... Youganton: Kabakudan no Jutsu! _(Lava Release: Fire Bomb Technique)_" shouted the man.

Molten rock emerged from the ground in front of the man. They were thrown in the direction of Kisame and Nana. The pair were able to avoid the rock thrown in their direction.

"You missed," spoke Nana.

"I never miss," replied the man.

Kisame and Nana noticed an explosion, followed by a scream. The jutsu was not aimed at them, but at Ookami. The two turned to see Ookami falling out of the sky.

"I see... you're Roshi of Iwa, are you not?" asked Nana.

"I see you've heard of me," replied the man.

"You were reputed as one of the stronger shinobi of your village, on the same level as those of the clan Deidara of Iwa originated from," spoke Nana.

"Was that who I blew out of the sky?" asked Roshi.

"No, that was Ookamki of Kiri, another descendant from that clan," spoke Kisame.

"That's too bad. I wouldn't mind being the one to take down that traitor," replied Roshi, "now that we don't have to worry about any distractions, shall we take care of this?"

"It would be my pleasure. Suiton: Bakusui Shouha!" shouted Kisame, as he spewed out a small lake. Nana and Kisame stood on top of the water, while Roshi was knocked down.

"That was entirely too easy," spoke Kisame.

"Youganton: Ranrantaru Chuu no Jutsu! _(Lava Release: Flaming Pillar Technique)_" shouted Roshi.

The water below Kisame and Nana reaching the point of boiling, right before a column of molten rock rose where the two were standing. Kisame and Nana were quick to avoid the attack.

"Straight through the water!? What kind of jutsu is this guy using!?" shouted Nana.

"The kind made possible by my beast," replied Roshi. He stood behind the pair, surprising both of them.

"How can he move so fast?" muttered Kisame.

"I have no interest in prolonging our conflict. Goodbye. Youganton: Youganchou no Jutsu! _(Lava Release: Lava Bird Technique)_" shouted Roshi.

Several fiery birds emerged from Roshi. Kisame and Nana attempted to avoid them, but they were under the control of Roshi. Both attempted to use their swords to deal with the creatures. The bandages around the Samehada were burnt off, while the katana Nana used was melted by the creatures. Kisame ran through some hand seals in preparation for his own attack.

"Suiton: Suikoudan no Jutsu!" shouted Kisame. Shark shaped projectiles made of water made way for Roshi. The fiery birds were wiped out by the attack.

"I was wondering what I would have to do to make you get serious. I knew it would only be a matter of time before your organization would attempt to capture me. I made sure to prepare myself. You won't find me a pushover," spoke Roshi.

"Are you so sure?" asked Kisame, with a smirk on his face.

"Suirou no Jutsu!" shouted a mizu bunshin of Kisame that appeared behind Roshi. The older man found himself surrounded in a solid sphere of water.

"You shouldn't be taking me so lightly!" shouted Kisame.

"Mapou: Matou!" shouted Roshi.

Chakra burst forth from Roshi, enveloping his form. Within moments, Kisame's bunshin was obliterated by a mass of chakra. The chakra form grew to a gigantic size before solidifying into the yonbi itself.

"What is that?" asked Nana.

"The demon armadillo..." spoke Kisame.

"As I said before, you shouldn't take me so lightly!" shouted Roshi in his demon form.

"Katsu!!" shouted a voice in the distance. A large explosion knocked Roshi back.

"That's payback for earlier!!" shouted Ookami, "Kisame! Now's your chance!"

"With pleasure. Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" shouted Kisame. Multiple columns of water drilled Roshi, knocking his demon form on it's back. Kisame leaped up into the air, and drilled the Samehada into the bijuu form. The chakra absorbing nature of the Samehada dispersed the form, leaving Roshi momentarily defenseless. Nana ran in, and buried her second katana into Roshi, pinning him, and allowing Kisame to drain him to the point of passing out.

"That was fun," spoke Ookami.

"That looked like it hurt," spoke Kisame.

"It didn't tickle, but my dragon took most of it. I suppose we should let the leader know about this, eh?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah. Hopefully Itachi is on his way back towards Ame," replied Kisame.

"Don't you guys have to go back there to talk to him?" asked Nana.

"Not at all. We have a jutsu that allows us to meet and communicate over long distances," replied Kisame.

"Ready?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah. Yuutai Ridatsu no Jutsu!" shouted Kisame. Ookami followed suit, and the two appeared before Pein.

"What do you want? You two get lost, or something?" asked Pein.

"We ran into the yonbi jinchuuriki. We have successfully captured him, and await further instruction," replied Kisame.

"I see. You know where our base in Kiri is. I will meet you there, and we shall perform the ritual. Itachi should be back by the time you get there," spoke Pein.

"Very well, we shall head there now," replied Ookami.

Kisame and Ookami opened their eyes to see Nana staring at them oddly.

"What?" asked Ookami.

"You guys do that often?" asked Nana.

"Not really," replied Kisame.

"It's strange... it looks like you're sleeping while standing," spoke Nana.

"That's nothing. Looks like you get to be front row center for the performance of the sealing jutsu. On that note, let's get going," spoke Ookami.

Ookami made a clay bird for the group to ride on, and traveled to one of Akatsuki's bases. The group prepared for the ritual. Itachi returned just as the group started. At the end of the three days, Ookami entered into a debate with the group.

"I want to revive him. We've done this for the past two jinchuuriki. All we want is the bijuu. We can use them as emissaries of our goals," spoke Ookami.

"They could also tell their villages of our jutsu. We should let him rot," spoke Hidan.

"I'm not too in love with allowing them to live, as well," spoke Pein.

"They all deserve a chance to live. I would rather have your approval, but I will do this on my own, if need be," replied Ookami.

"You would? You understand that would kill you, right, hm," spoke Deidara.

"One of you would help me, right?" asked Ookami.

"I ain't about to challenge the leader," replied Deidara.

"I think we should grant his request," spoke Konan.

"You do?" spoke the Akatsuki members in unison.

"We can seal his memory of our jutsu. That should take care of that threat. After all, I do recall someone saying they wanted to avoid unnecessary sacrifices," replied Konan.

"Very well. Revive him, and seal his memories," spoke Pein.

"No problem," replied Ookami.

"That is all," spoke Pein, as he, and the other members disappeared.

"So that's it, huh? Looks a little overcooked to me," spoke Nana.

"It's not made for show," replied Ookami, "now, help me tie him down. I ain't gonna get ripped apart by this guy after we bring him back."

The group tied down Roshi, and revived him. After they woke up from the sleep induced by the tensei jutsu they used, they sealed his memories.

"Where am I?" asked Roshi.

"Outside Kiri. Your bijuu was extracted by us, Akatsuki. Though the process killed you, we brought you back for the sake of having you be living proof of the consequences of siding against us. We had to seal part of your memory to prevent knowledge of our jutsu from being spread around. Now, take your leave of us before we change our minds," replied Kisame.

Roshi took a second to take in everything, and left. The group headed to the border of Kiri.

"So, I guess this is it for a while, huh?" asked Nana.

"Don't worry, I'll try to drop a line more often. Don't be afraid to show up every now and then, just make sure you wear one of these," replied Kisame, as he pulled out two Ame hitai-ate, one having a scratch.

"This one is for as you approach; this one with the scratch is for while you're in the village," explained Kisame.

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind. Bye, Shark-chan," spoke Nana, as she planted a kiss on Kisame's lips, and headed off.

"She is one Hell of a woman," spoke Kisame.

"You got that right. Let's get going. I got a stiff neck from the ritual, and I could really use a good night's sleep on a bed," replied Ookami.

"I hear you on that one. Let's get going," spoke Kisame.

_A/N: More fun with names! This time Nana! Mishiro can be spelled as __雪__, which means snow, and is a reference to her possessing the Hyouton kekkei genkai. Nana can be spelled as __魚__, which means fish, and is a reference to her appreciation of aquatic life, and those bearing a strong resemblance to it. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review! Or I'll force you to down a bottle of Hidan's drink, followed by some sober juice!_


	11. The Truth

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; if I did, all of the jinchuuriki would have made an appearance together_

**Chapter 11: The Truth**

Ookami and Kisame had finally made their return to Amegakure. Ookami was as relieved as ever to see his home. The first part of his trip with Kisame wasn't so bad. He didn't mind reminiscing about the good ol' days when they were still shinobi of Kiragakure. They both talked about what they were going to do to the Mizukage when they finally got their hands on him. They joked about how weak the new Seven Swordsmen were. They ran into one on their way out of the village. Poor guy didn't seem to even know kenjutsu very well. Of course, his poor fighting skills may have had something to do with the fact that Kisame was very well known in Kirigakure, and the man was frightened at meeting Kisame face to face. The pair decided to be generous, and spare the man's life. They did so to rattle the other members of the Seven. On the second half of their trip, though, Kisame kept talking about the best ways to kill fodder-nin. While this amused Ookami at first, it grew tiresome when Kisame kept talking and talking about it. It made Ookami wonder how Itachi could tolerate being around Kisame for any duration of time. Ookami tried to offer his opinion on killing, but found his methods didn't involve nearly as much description as Kisame's. Ookami ran through the door, almost hugging the floor.

"We're back!" shouted Kisame.

"Took you long enough," spoke Itachi.

"We ran into one of the new Seven out by Kiri. Ookami was right, they really do suck. It was like this guy didn't even know how to handle a sword," replied Kisame.

"Hey, Itachi, can I talk to you alone for a few minutes?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, sure," replied Itachi.

Itachi and Ookami walked off towards Ookami's room. Ookami closed the door, and put up a sound barrier to make sure no one could hear what he was talking about.

"A little extreme for a conversation between friends, don't you think?" asked Itachi.

"How the Hell can you stand being around Kisame!! All he does it talk and talk about how to kill people! It's like he doesn't know how to talk about anything else!" shouted Ookami.

"Oh, that. You just have to find something else to talk about. He really does find much delight in killing others. It's how he is. I've gotten used to it over time. I've found the best way to shut him up is to find someone for him to kill," replied Itachi.

"That explains why you guys have the highest kill number amongst all of us," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah, Kisame goes wild when given the chance. I often have to restrain him when going after a target that has to survive. Would you believe that the first time we ran into Naruto, he was going to cut off his legs just to make him easier to carry?" asked Itachi.

"Makes sense. It's things like this that make me glad I'm Deidara's partner," spoke Ookami.

"I would like to know how you tolerate him," replied Itachi.

"We're both artists. We talk about art, and how to make it bigger and better," spoke Ookami.

"See, it's all a matter of sharing common ground. I know how to kill in numbers from killing off my clan. That's how we're able to tolerate each other. You two have your art, and that's how you tolerate each other. That's also how Sasori was able to tolerate him. Leader-sama understands these kinds of things, and thought carefully when he came up with the pairings for the group," replied Itachi.

"What about pairing Sasori and Tobi. And Hidan and Kakuzu never get along," spoke Ookami.

"For Hidan and Kakuzu, it's because Kakuzu can't kill Hidan, no matter how pissed off he gets. As for putting Sasori with Tobi... we don't have any more members to make pairings with. That would be my best guess on that one," replied Itachi.

"Right, Hidan's immortal... speaking of which, I owe him a ritual. Thanks for the conversation, Itachi," spoke Ookami, as he dropped the barrier, and left. Itachi followed behind him.

Ookami went over to Hidan's room, and knocked on the door. Hidan emerged, blood soaking his outfit.

"Hey, don't tell me you started without me," spoke Ookami.

"Nah, it's getting to the good part. Come on, now. Like you said, you owe me," replied Hidan. The pair entered into Hidan's room, and went down into Hidan's ritual chamber.

"So, what do I get to do this time?" asked Ookami.

"Well, start with those pikes over there. I only got one side covered so far. You're going to impale the other side," replied Hidan.

Ookami nodded, and picked up the pikes Hidan had laid out around his Jashin circle on the floor. Ookami picked one up, and slowly jambed it into Hidan's side.

"Ah, good, you know not to rush it. I hate it when someone tries to rush it... like fucking Kakuzu... whenever I have to have him help me, he just sticks them in there," spoke Hidan.

"I understand. It's like trying to rush art. It doesn't work out too well. Ever seen a flying pile of crap? That's why Deidara and I don't rush it," replied Ookami.

"I suppose I can understand that much. I still don't get it... ow, watch it, I'll fall down if you hit my spine too hard."

"Alright, I'll be a little more careful on the next one."

Ookami continued on, while Hidan started his chant. Hidan broke his chanting only to remind Ookami to practice a little more discrimination with where he was placing the pikes. At the end of the ritual, Ookami ripped out Hidan's heart, as he usually did when he helped Hidan with his rituals.

"Ah... wonderful..." muttered Hidan.

"Geez, you act like you've just had sex," replied Ookami.

"Jashin sex is something beyond the imagination; it takes a special women to experience it with."

"I'll take your word for it. I get the feeling it involves a lot of pain. I'm not going to speculate any further."

Hidan impaled himself, and laid within his circle to finish off his ritual. Thirty minutes later, Hidan and Ookami emerged from Hidan's room.

"I see you finally finished," spoke Kakuzu.

"Don't start with me!!" shouted Hidan.

"Too easy," replied Kakuzu.

"You mean you're trying to piss me off!?" shouted Hidan.

"Trying? Seems like I already succeeded," replied Kakuzu.

"Why you!!" shouted Hidan.

"Silence!!" shouted Pein.

Hidan and Kazuku grumbled about what they were going to do to each other when Pein wasn't around. Pein gathered the other members into the living area.

"Aright, we've already captured and seal four of the nine bijuu. The next on the list is the gobi. Konan will be heading this one off. She won't take long to take care of her mission. So, none of you are to wonder off anywhere until she contacts us in preparation for the sealing ritual. Do you understand?" asked Pein.

Everyone present nodded in response.

"You don't have to stay here; you're free to wonder around the village and surrounding areas, but no going off somewhere that will take you any good distance from here," spoke Pein.

"I'll be back before you miss me. Mikoto-san and Yugito-chan will keep you in check in place of me. Later," spoke Konan.

Pein stopped his rain, and Konan headed out. As soon as Konan was away from the village, Pein started his rain again.

"You going to help her, or not?" asked Hidan.

"She can take care of herself. I wouldn't marry a weakling," replied Pein.

"Oh? I've never seen her do anything besides cook," spoke Hidan.

"Well, I'll tell you what, you can tell her what you think she gets back. And when you do, you'll find yourself wishing you could die," replied Pein.

"Is that so? I'd like to her try!" shouted Hidan.

"I'd pay money to see this," spoke Kakuzu.

"I'll bet you would, you worthless fuck!!" shouted Hidan.

"Uh... here we go again..." muttered all the other members.

"You know what, help yourselves. Just clean up the mess when your done," spoke Pein, as he walked out of the room.

"You hear that! You always want to kill me, well, here's your chance!!" shouted Hidan.

"You'll find yourself regretting this course of action rather quick," replied Kakuzu, as his threads starting popping out. As Hidan was getting impaled, and shouting more obscenities in Kakuzu's direction, the other members left the living area to let Hidan and Kakuzu work out their frustrations.

"Who do you think is going to win between the two of them, hm?" asked Deidara.

"I really don't care, as long as they shut up afterwards," replied Itachi.

"I agree with you on that one. Those two never know when to quit," spoke Kisame.

"They're not the only ones..." muttered Ookami.

"What was that?" asked Kisame.

"Nothing..." muttered Ookami.

"Tobi doesn't like it when Hidan and Kakuzu fight. Tobi gets scared."

"No kidding..." muttered Zetsu's light side.

"Grow some backbone!!" shouted Zetsu's dark side.

"I wish those two would grow up. They test my patience. I have half a mind to drag out a couple of puppets and take care of them both," spoke Sasori.

"I'm with you on that one, danna," replied Deidara.

"If only, but if we did anything, we would end up blowing the place up," spoke Ookami.

"You have a point there, hm," replied Deidara.

"You two could try and practice some restraint," spoke Sasori.

"There's no such thing as restraint when it comes to art!!" shouted Deidara and Ookami in unison.

"I don't think Sasori stands a chance at winning these art arguments now that there's two of them," spoke Kisame.

"Yeah, your screwed, Sasori," spoke Zetsu.

"I have two puppets that say I win," replied Sasori, as he pulled out his Kazekage puppet and Hiruko. Ookami got wrapped up in a scorpion tail, while Deidara was trapped in satetsu.

"Uncle! Uncle!" shouted Deidara.

"Alright, you win!" shouted Ookami.

"That's what I thought," replied Sasori.

Sasori withdrew his attacks, and had a nice grin plastered on his face.

"Hey Sasori, want your prize?" asked Ookami.

"What are you talking about?" asked Sasori.

"Katsu!!" shouted Deidara and Ookami.

Both of Sasori's puppets exploded. Deidara and Ookami were laughing their asses off.

"Damn it! Do you know what a bitch it is to have to put them back together!!" shouted Sasori.

"Don't know," spoke Ookami.

"Don't care," spoke Deidara.

"Will you all quit it!! I'm trying to work in here!!" shouted Pein. Pein slammed the door to his office shut after listening to what was taking place.

"Well, that ends that. Want to head out to the training grounds, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea. We can have a little free-style tournament," replied Kisame.

"You guys go ahead, I want to talk to Leader-sama about something," spoke Ookami.

"Better be careful; he's hard to approach when he gets in one of those moods," spoke Deidara.

"I'll be careful. But just in case, have Kakuzu on standby," replied Ookami, as he walked off towards Pein's office.

"I heard my name," spoke Kakuzu.

"Done with Hidan already?" asked Kisame.

"I'll piece his ass back together later. Now then, when wants to place bets on if he's going to come out of there in one piece or not?" asked Kakuzu.

"I do!!" shouted all the members in unison.

"Fuck you! Fuck you all!!" shouted Hidan.

In Pein's office, Ookami quietly closed the door, and put up a sound barrier.

"I take it there's something important you wish to discuss?" asked Pein.

"Hai, Pein-sama," replied Ookami.

"Alright, let's hear it," spoke Pein.

"I'm worried about Konan," spoke Ookami, in a serious tone.

"Like I told everyone else, there's nothing to worry about. She can take on a jinchuuriki on her own without any help," replied Pein.

"I know this guy, the one who holds the Gobi no Ryuu _(Five-Tailed Dragon)_, and he's no pushover. I've had to face off with him before. Each fight was close, though I won more often than not. But still, this guy is pretty powerful. He has access to a kekkei genkai given to him by the gobi itself, making him a very formidable opponent," explained Ookami.

"You know more about this guy than we do. Why didn't you tell this to me sooner?" asked Pein.

"I figured there was a good chance you knew most of that already. Had I known you were unaware of his abilities, I would have volunteered what I know sooner. I wouldn't give up the chance to give that guy a black eye," replied Ookami.

"What can you tell me of his abilities?" asked Pein.

"He does have full control over the gobi's powers. His kekkei genkai is called Joukiton _(Steam Release)_. It allows the combination of katon and suiton jutsu. He had many jutsu made possible by his kekkei genkai. The man himself is also strong physically, and has high skill with taijutsu," explained Ookami.

"Shit... both katon and suiton... this guy is Konan's worst possible opponent..." muttered Pein.

"I can take him on. Out of everyone here, I'm his best opponent. I can get out to Iwa quickly, and take care of this guy," replied Ookami.

"Alright, I'll leave it to you, then. Make sure nothing happens to Konan," spoke Pein.

"Relax, she'll be alright. I'll make sure of it. I'll tell everyone I'm out on an emergency mission, or something having to do with a possible information leak out of the village. That should do as a cover, right?" asked Ookami.

"It will have to do for now. Get going," replied Pein.

Ookami left Pein's office, and gathered his weapons. He knew it was going to take every trick he had to stand a chance. _"I may even have to use it..."_ Ookami shivered at the thought of having to use his secret jutsu. After Ookami packed up his supplies, he entered the living area, just in time to see everyone exchanging money.

"What did you guys bet on this time?" asked Ookami.

"We were betting on whether or not you would make it out of Leader-sama's office in one piece, hm," replied Deidara.

"What did you bet on?" asked Ookami.

"I thought you were going to be alright," replied Deidara.

"I thought he was dead," spoke Kakuzu.

"I'll bet you did," spoke Hidan.

"I thought you didn't gamble?" asked Kakuzu.

"Shut up! When are you going to put me back together!?" shouted Hidan.

"When I feel good and ready," replied Kakuzu.

"Okay then, well, I have an emergency mission from Leader-sama. I'll be back when I can. Oh, and he might be a little more on edge than he usually is, so try not to piss him off," spoke Ookami, as he opened the door to the balcony, and took off.

"Well, he sure was in a hurry, hm. I wonder what kind of mission this could be?" asked Deidara.

"Who knows. Who cares?" asked Sasori.

"You have a point, there," replied Deidara.

"Well, the rest of us are still stuck here, so what are we going to do?" asked Kisame.

"Let's stitch up Hidan, and have that sparring tournament we were going to have. That should be a good way to kill some time, hm," replied Deidara.

"You're right on that one. Shall we?" asked Kisame.

"Fine, let me stitch up Jashin-boy, and we'll get our little game started," replied Kakuzu.

"You boys better not kill each other, I'm not in the mood to fix up the mess if you do," spoke Mikoto.

"Hai, kaa-san," muttered all present members of Akatsuki. In the time that Mikoto had been there, the group had accepted her as their "mother." She did what everyone figured a mother would do if she had a bunch of dysfunctional children.

Of everyone present, Yugito seemed to be the most disappointed in the group. She was looking forward to bashing in the face of a certain explosive loving blond.

Ookami figured it would take him over a day to catch up to Konan, even at his best speed. As he was approaching the border of Tsuchi no Kuni, he decided it would be best if he were to make camp for the night.

"Hmm... now that I think about it, I haven't been out here since I was a child. I don't even remember what it was like. I guess it makes sense that the terrain is pretty rocky and all. A few trees here and there. Not too many good places to make camp... hmm... that group of rocks over there look like they would make a good shelter," muttered Ookami to himself. He went over to the place, and found that Konan was resting there already. It appeared as though she was already fast asleep.

"_Well, this is unexpected. I guess she didn't get out as far as I thought, though I did figure I would catch her before she caught up to Takeru,"_ thought Ookami, _"I should probably let her know I'm here in some way or form... now, how to go about it without getting killed."_

Ookami carefully walked over to Konan, careful not to alert her. Ookami decided the best way to approach would be through use of a nendo bunshin. Ookami's bunshin slowly approached, and tapped Konan on the shoulder.

"Konan," whispered Ookami. Konan didn't stir. Ookami's bunshin shook her a little harder. Still nothing happened. Ookami's bunshin shook her even harder, and still nothing happened.

"Either she's a really heavy sleeper, or this is a trap meant to be set off by a weapon. Well, bunshin, be a little rougher. No kunai, in case it really is her, but, I dunno... punch her, or something," spoke Ookami.

Ookami's bunshin slapped Konan across the face. Once again, nothing happened. Finally, the bunshin hit her hard in the shoulder, and ended up with a spear of paper going through it. It fell to the ground, and turned back into clay.

"Geez, you're a heavy sleeper," spoke Ookami.

"Why are you here?" asked Konan.

"You'd be putting yourself into danger if you were to fight Takeru on your own," replied Ookami.

"Takeru?" asked Konan.

"Arashi Takeru, jinchuuriki of the Gobi no Ryuu. He tolds a kekkei genkai that, from what Pein told me, would make it suicide for you to have to face him alone," replied Ookami.

"What kind of kekkei genkai would that be?"

"Joukiton, a combination of katon and suiton."

"I see... that would give me trouble."

"I've had to fight this guy before. I know I can beat him battle, but I can just as easily lose. It would be best if we fought him together."

"You really think I can't handle this guy on my own, don't you?"

"I'm not sure. I don't know much about your abilities. You never get involved in our a little grudge matches. I've never seen you in battle before. I figure you must be pretty strong, seeing as Pein believes in your abilities, and he seemed rather confident that you could take on the gobi on your own. Still, Pein seemed to think you could use some help."

"I trust his judgment. He wouldn't ask you to come out here out of worrying over me, unless such fears were well founded."

"Indeed. So, you were sleeping before, right?"

"Hai, until you showed up."

"I swear, I wasn't going to do anything to you; I was trying to wake you up in the most peaceful means possible."

"I know. I figured if you were going to do something, you would have. I don't mind sharing a camp with you. Let's get to sleep; if this guy is as tough as you claim, we're going to have a busy day tomorrow."

"Alright, but first, I need to eat. I haven't had a chance to do so since I left."

Ookami pulled out some rations, and had his meal. The two soon fell to sleep. The night was uneventful. No shinobi approached the place where the two Akatsuki members were sleeping. The next morning, the pair found themselves in a rather awkward position.

"Oh... Nagato sweety... wanna have a little fun?" asked Konan in a sweet voice.

"Well... maybe a little Hinata-chan," replied Ookami in a sweet tone. Before the two could pull off any clothes, they realized what they were doing.

"Wait... I'm not Nagato..." muttered Ookami.

"I'm not... Hinata..." muttered Konan.

"Konan, why are you holding my hand like that?" asked Ookami.

"Where's your other hand?" asked Konan.

"It's between two pillows," replied Ookami.

"We didn't bring any pillows..." muttered Konan.

"Oh Kami!!" shouted both in unison. They quickly rolled away from each other, and brushed themselves off.

"So... uh... wonderful morning, huh?" asked Ookami.

"Oh yeah, it's pretty out," replied Konan.

"This doesn't leave this campsite."

"Agreed."

Konan and Ookami put together their things from their camp, and headed out towards Iwagakure no Sato. The two prepared disguises as they entered the hidden village. Ookami wrapped up his hands, making it look obvious he was trying to hide something. The pair walked around the village, looking for any sign of Takeru.

"What does this guy look like?" asked Konan.

"Really tall, and he wears red armor. Not the kind of guy who can hide himself easily. He would stand out in a crowd, that's for sure," replied Ookami.

"How is he viewed here?" asked Konan.

"Hmm... he's fairly respected. He was a commander during the Iwa-Konoha war. He only lost in battle to Konoha's Yellow Flash. That should tell you something there," replied Ookami.

"I see. If we asked of his whereabouts, would it draw suspicion?" asked Konan.

"Only in excess. Let me handle it," replied Ookami. Ookami led Konan into a bar, and ordered sake for the two of them.

"Hey, barkeep, you see Akashi around here lately? I've been trying to find him, but I haven't had much luck," spoke Ookami.

"How hard were you looking? You can't miss the son of a bitch, as tall as he is," replied the barkeep.

"Not to mention that frick'n red armor. What kind of shinobi wears bright red, huh? The only thing worse than that would be wearing bright orange or yellow," spoke Ookami.

"He's been out on border patrol. Keeping an eye out for people from this group, or something. I forget what they are called," replied the barkeep.

"That's right. I've heard about them. I heard they got Roshi out near Kiri," spoke Ookami.

"They got Roshi? Damn, didn't think they could be that strong," replied the barkeep.

"Yeah, I know. If I saw the bastards that did this, I'd pop them myself," spoke Ookami.

"I hear you on that one. Say, who's the pretty lady? She your girl?" asked the barkeep.

"Nah, my friend's wife. Kami help the man fool enough to hit on her. The guy would be torn to pieces, and then he'd have to deal with her husband. That guy is not to be messed with," replied Ookami.

Konan nodded, a sadistic smile going across her face, making the barkeep realize Ookami wasn't making this up. The barkeep poured them their drinks. Konan and Ookami shared the bottle, before paying up, and heading out.

"I didn't think it would be that easy," spoke Konan.

"It's all about how you ask. If I said something like 'Have you seen the jinchuuriki around here?' then I would have drawn suspicion immediately. It's a good thing I met him before," replied Ookami.

"I suppose. If he's patrolling the border of the village, it shouldn't be too hard to find him by air," spoke Konan.

"Yeah. Let's find an alley to take off from. I don't think it would do us any good to be seen," replied Ookami. The pair ducked off into an alley. Ookami tried to draw attention by repeatedly looking out to see if anyone was around, then he put up a weak genjutsu to hide the alley. The genjutsu was weak enough for any shinobi with some degree of experience to know it was an illusion.

"Why did you do that?" asked Konan.

"Anyone who took interest in our coming in here will think we're just two lovers rushing to make love in the streets. No one will pay it mind," replied Ookami.

"I see," spoke Konan, as she slapped Ookami across the face.

"What was that for!?" shouted Ookami.

"For making me look like a tramp," replied Konan.

"You're in disguise; not to mention no one in this village knows who we actually are, geez..." muttered Ookami.

Ookami made a clay bird for himself to fly on, while Konan turned herself into paper. The two spread out, and circled the village. Konan spotted Takeru out near the eastern border. The pair met up, and headed out to his location. Takeru was in the area by himself. Konan appeared before Takeru, drawing his attention immediately.

"Who are you?" asked Takeru.

"Konan, of Akatsuki."

"Oh, I see, I've been waiting for you. I've heard rumors of your group, and it's doings, but I've never met a member before. I take it you are hear from my beast, correct?" asked Takeru.

Konan nodded in response.

"Very well. I won't just give up. Prepare yourself! Joukiton: Atsuryoku Hou no Jutsu! _(Steam Release: Pressure Cannon Technique)_" shouted Takeru, as the device on his back came alive and fired out a stream of steam towards Konan. Konan was quick to avoid being hit by the attack, and responded by using her kami shuriken. Takeru blasted the projectiles with his jutsu, making them fall apart before they could hit him.

"Those were cute. Have anything else?" asked Takeru.

Konan responded by forming a pair of kami yari _(Paper Spear)_, one for each hand. She threw the pair of weapons at Takeru, aiming to block up the device on Takeru's back. Takeru wasn't able to respond fast enough, leaving the holes on his steam weapon blocked.

"You little bitch!" shouted Takeru.

Konan formed another kami yari, and ran towards Takeru. She aimed to impale his chest, hitting a lung in an attempt to incapacitate him. Takeru attempted to launch Konan back, but his fists ended up going through Konan's paper form. The spear ended up getting lodged in Takeru's shoulder. Konan went past Takeru, and formed another pair of kami yari.

"It was cute at first, but now you're really starting to get on my nerves," spoke Takeru, as he pulled the kami yari out of his shoulder. As Konan charged towards Takeru, he began making a series of hand seals.

"Joukiton: Dou Shutsukou no Jutsu! _(Steam Release: Earth Vent Technique)_" shouted Takeru.

Small fissures opened up in the ground before Konan, spouting up small streams of steam. One of them hit Konan's right arm. Instead of the attack going through her form, the pressure from the attack ripped through part of her paper form, resulting in a cut on Konan's arm, and forcing her to drop one of her kami yari. Konan dodged the other vents opening up in her path, avoiding further harm. Takeru attempted to land another hit on Konan, but once again went through her body. He ended up with a spear going into his back.

"_Konan's doing good so far. She's lucky Takeru is just testing her out, seeing what she can do. I can only hope she can take him out before he gets too serious,"_ Ookami thought to himself, as he was watching the fight take place. Konan asked him to give her a chance to take Takeru on by herself. Ookami agreed, knowing he would never be able to learn of Konan's strengths if he didn't see her in battle. He would jump in the instant he felt that Konan was in any danger. So far, things seemed to be going Konan's way.

"You're fun to play with, I'll give you that. I'll have to get a little more serious with you," spoke Takeru. Konan was forming hand seals while Takeru was attempting to taunt her. By the time Takeru was finished speaking, Konan was ready to use her jutsu.

"Sou Renda! _(Spear Barrage)_" shouted Konan.

Several spears made of paper formed in the air around Takeru, and headed towards the Iwa-nin. Takeru could only smile.

"Joukiton: Jouki Shouheki! _(Steam Release: Steam Barrier)_" shouted Takeru. The Iwa-nin spewed steam out of his mouth, surrounding himself with it. The spears heading for him ended up softening up before making contact, and were nothing more than blunt objects by the time they hit him.

"Was that the best you could do?" asked Takeru, as the steam around him cleared away. He found that Konan wasn't where he expected her to be.

"Not quite!" shouted Konan, as she landed a hard kick to the man, knocking him back. Another Konan was behind Takeru, and launched him up into the air. A third Konan was above. This Konan turned herself into a drill.

"Kami Kiri Rendan! _(Paper Drill Combo)_" shouted Konan, as the third Konan drilled into Takeru, and pummeled him into the ground.

"_Damn... I didn't think Konan could do something like that. She is quite the strong one. She might be able to pull this off yet,"_ Ookami thought to himself.

Konan smiled as she observed Takeru was not getting up.

"You said I was fun. Are you having fun yet?" asked Konan.

"Joukiton: Kanketsusen no Jutsu! _(Steam Release: Geyser Technique)_" shouted Takeru.

A small hole opened in the ground underneath Konan, shortly before a column of steaming water erupted from it, launching Konan into the air. Konan screamed, before dispersing into paper.

"_A Kami Bunshin _(Paper Clone)_, eh?" _Ookami thought, seconds before he was about to jump in. The real Konan was the one who hit Takeru from behind. Takeru emerged from the crater made from Konan's previous attack. The geyser continued to erupt, filling the area of with water.

"_He's taking her seriously now... this is where Konan's test of strength really begins,"_ Ookami thought to himself.

"Alright, I acknowledge that you are tough. I won't hold back anymore. Now, prepare yourself! Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" shouted Takeru, as two columns of water formed from the small lake formed by Takeru's geyser. Takeru's version of the technique was enhanced by the fact that the water was hot from it being created through a joukiton jutsu. The columns headed for Konan, who was quick to avoid the attack. She had formed a pair of wings, and was doing her best to avoid getting wet.

"Oh? Staying out of the way of my water, are you? I see... then how about this? Katon: Kaenhoushaki no Jutsu!" shouted Takeru, as fire streamed out of his mouth, and towards Konan. The fire came too fast for Konan to be able to completely avoid the attack. One of her wings was burnt, forcing Konan to fall towards the water. Right before Konan hit the water, her form changed into one resembling a kind of paper airplane with knife edges, and aimed herself towards Takeru.

"Souji Kuuki Ouda! _(Sweeping Air Strike)_" shouted Konan, as she blew past Takeru. The hit cut into Takeru's body, causing blood to splatter out, and staining the water below. Konan turned around, reformed herself, and threw a combination of kami yari and kami shuriken, all cutting into Takeru. The man coughed up blood, before falling to his knee. He struggled to turn around and face Konan.

"Didn't expect that... for you to come at me like that... and at that speed..." spoke Takeru.

"You should never underestimate your opponents. You will now come with me," replied Konan.

"Oh no... not yet... the game isn't over... there's still one last hand to play... consider yourself lucky... this next part has only been witnessed by one other person... Mapou: Matou!" shouted Takeru. Chakra began to envelop his form. Konan started throwing more weapons at Takeru, only to have them blocked by the chakra.

"_This isn't good... he's transforming himself into the Gobi no Ryuu... I don't think Konan will be able to take that thing on by herself," _Ookami thought to himself.

Within moments, Konan found herself face to face with the gobi itself. It let out a roar before flying into the air, and striking Konan. Konan was unable to move fast enough, and was slammed into the water below her. She had trouble getting up again. When she rose, she was unable to use any of her jutsu.

"Ha ha ha... the game is over!!" shouted the gobi, before firing out a stream of fire. When the smoke cleared, a charred log was all that remained.

"Kawarimi!?" shouted the gobi.

"Hey ugly!!" shouted Ookami.

"You!!" shouted the gobi.

"How about another rematch? This one is for keeps!!" shouted Ookami.

"You joined with them!? You might as well have committed suicide, you fool!!" shouted the gobi.

"I have a backup. As for you, I'd say your screwed," replied Ookami.

"I'll show you who is screwed!! Joukiton: Jouki Dan no Jutsu!! _(Steam Release: Steam Bullet Technique)_" shouted the gobi. An orb of steam was fired towards Ookami and Konan. Ookami could only smile.

"Oh, come on, you should know full well that won't do a thing to me!! Setsuton: Hyouketsu Fuu no Jutsu!" shouted Ookami, as he blew out a chilling wind, both deflecting and freezing the orb fired at them.

"Setsuton? Isn't that only something your wolves can do?" asked Konan.

"My wolves are part of a clan started by the Rokubi no Ookami. The jinchuuriki of the rokubi is also gifted with its kekkei genkai," replied Ookami.

"What do you mean?" asked Konan.

"Drop the disguise already, and show her!!" shouted the gobi.

"Grr... fine... kai!" shouted Ookami. His appearance changed. His hair resembled Madara's during the time of the founding of Konoha. His eyes were red, and his appearance was more feral, with claws and small fangs.

"Konan... the jinchuuriki of the Rokubi no Ookami... is **me**," spoke Ookami.

"You're a jinchuuriki!?" shouted Konan in shock.

"Yeah, I was going to tell you guys sooner or later. I figured there was a good chance I was going to have to come out while bringing this guy in. I'll give you the full story later; for now, all I can tell you is that I will help you capture him, and discuss what to do with me later. I don't plan to run away. Now then, let's get this party started.

"He he, you really think you're going to beat me, huh? Allow me to show you my new justu! Joukiton: Jouki Atsusakuki no Jutsu! _(Steam Release: Steam Press Technique)_" shouted the gobi.

The water around Konan and Ookami began to boil, then quickly turned into spiraling columns of steam, aimed at the Akatsuki pair. The two were quickly enveloped by the attack, seemingly doomed from being struck by it.

"Too easy, Ookami. Looks like hanging out with those losers was too much for you!" shouted the gobi.

"Is that a fact?" asked a loud, gruff, yet slightly feminine voice.

"He finally let you out, did he?" asked the gobi.

"Yeah, something like that," replied the rokubi.

"You're a girl?" asked Konan.

"Are you so surprised? Four of us are. The Nanabi no Taka _(Seven-Tailed Hawk)_, Kyuubi no Kitsune, and Nibi no Neko _(Two-Tailed Cat)_. You, being a kunoichi, should be able to appreciate that," replied the rokubi.

"Yeah, yeah, you're a chick; whatever. Now then, shall we continue?" asked the gobi.

The demon dragon didn't get much of a chance to think of his next move, as the rokubi had already prepared hers.

"Setsuton: Setsuken no Jutsu! _(Snow Release: Snow Blades Technique)_" shouted the rokubi. Snow began to form; the flakes took the shape of small blades, and were launched at the gobi.

"Oh, this old trick? Please... Katon: Kaenhoushaki!" shouted the gobi. The flames melted away the snow, revealing what was hidden inside.

"What the!?" shouted the gobi.

"Katsu!!" shouted the rokubi, as explosions racked the body of the gobi, knocking it back.

"I thought only Ookami and Deidara could do that?" asked Konan.

"He's my host; it's a two-way street with abilities, you know," replied the rokubi, as she jumped up into the air, and pounced on the gobi, slamming it deep into the water. The rokubi jumped up, and swallowed in a lot of air.

"Setsuton: Hyouketsu Fuu no Jutsu!" shouted the rokubi. The bed of water that was steaming before was frozen solid, trapping the gobi within.

"You did it," spoke Konan.

"I haven't done anything yet," replied the rokubi.

The ice started to melt, and burst into steam before too long. The gobi flew up, and stared down the rokubi.

"Well, that was entertaining. Want to try again? That didn't even come close," taunted the gobi.

"Yeah, I've got one more thing to try. Setsuton: Setsubu no Jutsu! _(Snow Release: Snow Dance Technique)_" shouted the rokubi.

"Oh, so this is your new technique? Sounds... girly..." muttered the gobi, as a tornado composed of snow appeared, easily twice the size of the rokubi herself. The storm ensnared the gobi, launching it up into the air, and cutting it up in the process. The rokubi jumped up high, above her own attack, and dove into the gobi again, slamming it down through the technique, into the water, and down into the ground. The water disappeared, and gobi was left in a crater. The chakra based form returned into Takeru's body, which appeared to be as roughed up as the gobi's was before the form disappeared.

"What a pain that was," spoke the rokubi.

"That was a wild ride," replied Konan.

"Yeah; I haven't had anyone ride on my head before... well, Senju Hashirama did, but he was special. That kekkei genkai of his allowed him to control us to some degree. I didn't find that amusing in the slightest. At least it wasn't like what Madara did to the kyuubi," explained the rokubi.

"He did tell us about that, and how he plans to get his revenge on Konoha at some point. For now, though, we should focus on sealing the gobi before Takeru can recover," replied Konan.

"You have a point. Mapou: Chitsujo suru Fukki, _(Demonic Art: Return to Order)_" spoke the rokubi. The chakra form of the rokubi disappeared, leaving Ookami standing in place.

"Well, that was fun," spoke Ookami, as he resumed his disguise.

"I take it that's no ordinary henge, is it?" asked Konan.

"You are correct. This is the same kind Tsunade of Konoha uses; it's not just an illusion, but an actual transformation of the body. Depending on one's chakra control, it could be taken to many different levels, up to a complete transformation of one's body. Most who know the jutsu can only alter their physical appearance. I've been able to get as far as changing my gender... what a day that was..." explained Ookami, as he shivered at the memory he had.

"Let's head to the nearest base; it's out near the border of Tsuchi no Kuni," spoke Konan.

Ookami made a dragon for the pair to ride on, and the two took off for the border. They arrived there within a few hours, and performed the sealing ritual. Ookami opted to revive Takeru, as much as he was against it.

"Uh... what the Hell happened..." muttered Takeru.

"You got your ass handed to you, and we took that bothersome dragon out of you. Now, head back to Iwa, before we kill you again," replied Ookami.

"You killed me!?" shouted Takeru.

"Yeah, that's right, me and the rest of Akatsuki. Now then, run off. I'm not in the mood to kick your ass again," replied Ookami.

"Grr... I'll get you later..." muttered Takeru, as he headed out towards Iwa.

"That was rather kind of you," spoke Konan.

"Yeah, I know. I suppose it's because we're both jinchuuriki that I can understand. Well, we better get back to Ame. I have some explaining to do, don't I?" replied Ookami.

Konan nodded, and the pair headed out again. Upon their return, the two of them headed straight for Pein's office.

"So, how did it go?" asked Pein.

"Ookami was able to save me out there. It seems he was right; the gobi was a little too much for me to handle on my own," replied Konan.

"She did put up quite the fight, though. She was doing alright until that bastard transformed on her. It was then that I was forced to intervene," spoke Ookami.

"I see. I take it your wolves were helpful in the matter?" asked Pein.

"Yeah... about that... is Zetsu still tracking the rokubi?" asked Ookami.

"He has the beast located out in the coastal regions of Kaminari no Kuni. Why do you ask?" replied Pein.

"Well, I can tell you right now that the one Zetsu has located is a fake set up by the real one," spoke Ookami.

"Oh? And you know this how?" asked Pein.

"Kai!" shouted Ookami, revealing his true self to Pein.

"I'm the jinchuuriki of the Rokubi no Ookami," replied Ookami.

"I don't believe it... a jinchuuriki was under my nose the entire time?" asked Pein.

"Yeah. I suppose I should fill in a couple of the gaps in my story. It wasn't by some coincidence that my parents were killed in the aftermath of the attempted coup d'etat against the Mizukage. I was made into a weapon, to replace the sanbi jinchuuriki, after her passing following the freeing of the beast. Kiri had acquired the rokubi, and needed someone to plant it in. They weren't about to subject one of their own citizens to such a process. So who did they pick? The kid of the refugees from Iwa. I was still young, so I wasn't fully aware of what was going on. All I can remember is a blinding light, and immense pain. And then I had a voice in my head. I was fortunate; the rokubi was a rather kind soul. She raised me, in a sense, after my parents were killed. She's one of the reasons I hold so much respect for women. Anyway, that's the truth of the matter. I ran away from Kiri because of how I was treated. I'm no one's weapon; I fight for my own ideals. And then I heard about Deidara and Akatsuki. The rest of my story from there is the same as I told you before. I knew what coming to you guys would me for me. Frankly, the two of us agreed that, while being used was not what we wanted, we knew that joining up with you would allow us the chance to get back at Kiri. I also figured it would be better to be with you, rather than against you. I was hoping there would be some way I could avoid death. And then we discovered that tensei jutsu, which sweetened the deal for me. I would much rather not have to kick the bucket, and all. I was betting on you guys having a jutsu that could do such a thing. Looks like I won that one. Anyway, I won't fight you on extracting rokubi. Just bring me back, that's all I ask. Oh, and she would like to be resealed within me after you're done with the bijuu," spoke Ookami.

"Hmm... this puts me in a rather awkward position. I never dreamed I would be facing such a situation. If we couldn't revive you, what would you have done then?" asked Pein.

"Asked to be last," replied Ookami.

"You could, at best, be next to last. The kyuubi has to be last, due to the power needed to restrain the leader of the bijuu," spoke Pein.

"Fair enough, but I wouldn't have run away. It would do nothing for me in the end, because I would be forced to fight you guys. We've become comrades since I first came here. I would hate to lose that," replied Ookami.

"I see you as a good friend as well. Alright then. I understand why you didn't tell me sooner, but, I would advise against hiding information from me in the future," spoke Pein.

"No problem. I have nothing else to hide. I don't know how I'm going to tell the others, though," replied Ookami.

"We'll help you with that," spoke Konan.

"Arigatou," replied Ookami.

"I guess we better tell them, then," spoke Pein, as he got up from his seat.

"There is one more thing. During the sealing, I wish for Uzumaki Naruto to take my place. We're going to seal his bijuu at some point. It seems only fair to have him seal mine," replied Ookami.

"Alright. I trust you won't attempt to flee from us on your way to get Naruto. Know that if you do, the consequences will be severe," spoke Pein.

"Oh, come on, Pein, I wouldn't do that to you guys. I want to waste Kiri, and so does Rokubi. It's in our best interest to hang around with you guys," replied Ookami.

"I suppose. Let's get this over with," spoke Pein.

The trio entered the living area of the Akatsuki base. Ookami remained as his true self. Everyone stared at him for a moment.

"What happened to you, hm? You look... wild..." spoke Deidara.

"Well, I don't know how to say this, so I'll just say it. I'm the jinchuuriki of the Rokubi no Ookami," spoke Ookami.

"What!?" shouted everyone in the room.

"Yeah, I know, hard to believe, huh?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, just a little!" shouted Hidan.

"We let a jinchuuriki into the group? I'm not sure whether to laugh or be angry," spoke Sasori.

"Hey, I ain't running off on you guys. You'll just raise me from the dead, right? It doesn't bother me or anything. Besides, it's to my advantage, anyway. I want the chance to give Kiri a black eye. This is bringing me closer to my goal," replied Ookami.

"Hey, I don't have a problem with it, hm. I can't deny a fellow artist," spoke Deidara.

"Tobi doesn't mind!"

"Wait, I was tracking..."

"Urufu with a henge, Zetsu. A decoy to keep you unaware of my being here. It was just until I felt it safe to tell you guys.

"So now what are you going to do, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Well, I'm going to Konoha to fetch the kyuubi jinchuuriki. Since you all are going to be sucking the rokubi out of me, I figure I would let him take my place, seeing as we're going to have to do it to him, too," replied Ookami.

"Alright, but what if you don't come back?" asked Hidan.

"Well, I would get to help you with a ritual of another kind. Seriously, though, I'll come back. If you're that worried about it, one of you can join me," replied Ookami.

"I'm his partner; I'll go with him," spoke Deidara.

"Alright, well, that'll do it. Let's get going, then. I want to get this done with as soon as possible. Not that I don't mind having a voice in the back of my head all the time, but I might end up changing my mind if I wait for too much longer," replied Ookami.

"Let's head out, then, hm," spoke Deidara.

The pair made a couple of clay birds, and headed off towards Konoha. The two didn't take too long to get there.

"Hey Hinata!" shouted Ookami.

"Oh, Ookami-kun. What brings you here?" asked Hinata.

"It's time," replied Ookami.

"Oh, I see," spoke Hinata.

"Do you know where Naruto is?" asked Ookami.

"He's out on a mission," replied Hinata.

"What!?" shouted Deidara and Ookami in unison.

"Well, this complicates things, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Yeah, maybe a little. Leader-sama might think we went AWOL if we take too long," replied Ookami.

"I don't suppose you could tell us what kind of mission it was?" asked Deidara.

"I don't know," replied Hinata.

"Well, I was hoping you would be able to come with us for moral support. I guess I'll just have to go to the source to find Naruto," spoke Ookami.

"What do you mean by going to the source, hm?" asked Deidara.

"We're going to have a little talk with the Hokage," replied Ookami.

The trio made their way for the Hokage's tower. They decided to park themselves outside of Tsunade's window. The pair of Akatsuki were not in the mood to deal with the ANBU in trying to see the Hokage.

"Hey, Hokage!" shouted Ookami.

"Nothing wrong with using the door, you know," replied Tsunade.

"We're in a hurry. We need Naruto, immediately," spoke Ookami.

"What for?" asked Tsunade.

"Extraction ritual," replied Ookami.

"You're taking his beast now?" asked Tsunade.

"No, we need him for extracting another one," replied Ookami.

"Oh? Can't you do it yourself?" asked Tsunade.

"It's in him," spoke Deidara.

"Yeah, I'm a jinchuuriki, if you can believe that," replied Ookami.

"You... a jinchuuriki... in Akatsuki... what were you thinking!?" shouted Tsunade.

"Fastest way to getting revenge on Kiri for making my life a living Hell," replied Ookami.

"I'm not going to ask... he's on an escort mission. It should take another day, or so," spoke Tsunade.

"Oh? Where at?" asked Ookami.

"What are you planning?" asked Tsunade.

"I help him finish his mission faster, then I can get this done with. I'm not exactly looking forward to it," replied Ookami.

"Fine, he's on a path along the border of Tsuchi no Kuni and Taki no Kuni, to a small village on the border.

"Alright, that's all I need to know. Arigatou," spoke Ookami. The trio took off within seconds, leaving Tsunade to grumble about annoying people in cloaks. The trio caught up with Team Kakashi at sunset. They were busy fighting off two teams of Iwa-nin.

"Wow, would you look at that," spoke Ookami.

"This should be fun, hm," spoke Deidara.

The Iwa-nin found some rather familiar looking clay creatures crawling around them. The members of Team Kakashi looked rather surprised.

"Aren't those from..." muttered Kakashi.

"Katsu!!" shouted Ookami and Deidara, blowing away all the Iwa-nin.

"Do you think they knew what hit them?" asked Ookami.

"Oh, they might have had an idea, hm," replied Deidara.

"What are you two doing here?" asked Kakashi.

"We're here to help you end this mission as fast as possible. We need to borrow the blond," replied Ookami.

"What for? Looks like you already have a perfectly good blond with you," spoke Kakashi.

"And we have a spare waiting at the base. No, we need him specifically," replied Ookami.

"Extracting the kyuubi already?" asked Kakashi.

"No, actually he's going to seal the rokubi, to get a feel for what the process is like," replied Ookami.

"What does the rokubi's jinchuuriki think about this?" asked Kakashi.

"I think it sucks ass, but I was bound to have to deal with this sooner or later, since I joined Akatsuki of my own accord," replied Ookami.

"You mean you're the rokubi jinchuuriki?" asked Kakashi.

Deidara, Ookami, and Hinata nodded in response. If Kakashi was busy reading one of his Icha Icha books, he would have dropped it.

"Yeah, I keep getting that reaction. If you need further evidence... kai!" shouted Ookami, revealing his true form.

"Wow, I guess he's for real," spoke Sakura.

"Who's that?" asked Naruto.

"Baka!!" shouted Sakura.

"Uh... and to think I have to let him kill me, _then_ bring my ass back to life..." muttered Ookami.

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto.

"Here, kid, put this on your left pinky finger," spoke Ookami, as he tossed Naruto his Akatsuki ring.

Naruto put the ring on, drawing a glare from Ookami.

"Your other left..." muttered Ookami.

"Oh, I knew that, I was just making sure you were paying attention," spoke Naruto.

"And Deidara isn't a natural blond," replied Ookami.

"Really?" asked Naruto.

Ookami slapped himself on the face, opting not to saying another word. Deidara and Ookami took on Team Kakashi and their escort, and headed to the village. They didn't meet any further opposition. The group decided to rest up in the village before heading out again. The other members of Team Kakashi headed for Konoha on foot, while Deidara and Ookami took Naruto off to Amegakure.

"Well, that took longer than it should have. I sure hope Leader-sama doesn't think I was trying to run away, or anything. That would be a real pain in the ass to have to deal with," spoke Ookami.

"We didn't take that much time, hm. If you were that worried, you could have contacted him," replied Deidara.

"Yeah, that's true. I guess I didn't think of that," spoke Ookami.

"And you were making fun of the kid?" asked Deidara.

"Shut it!!" shouted Ookami.

The group made it back to Ame, with Pein standing in wait.

"Ah, Leader-sama, sorry for the wait. The kid was on a mission, so we had to help him finish," spoke Ookami.

"Is that what it was? Fine. There's no sense in going somewhere else. We'll just use the chamber in the base the statue rests. Come," spoke Pein.

"Alright. Here kid, you get to wear this. Welcome to Akatsuki; don't fall in love with it, though, I'll want both the cloak and the ring back when this is finished with," spoke Ookami.

Naruto nodded, and accepted the cloak.

"You know, when I first met Itachi and Kisame, I hated you guys. Now, not so much," spoke Naruto.

"I'm touched... really, I am..." muttered Ookami.

"You're not at all amused about this, are you?" asked Deidara.

"You all are going to have to kill me once; how amused would you be in light of that situation!?" shouted Ookami.

"Easy, Ookami-kun. You knew this was going to happen. Just relax," spoke Hinata.

"Yeah, you're right, Hinata-chan," replied Ookami. Ookami gave a quick hug to Hinata, and the group continued on their way to the chamber.

"Alright, shall we begin?" asked Pein.

"Wait, one more thing, Rokubi wants to talk to you," replied Ookami, "Mapou: Matou."

Ookami's body transformed into that of the Rokubi. Once she was fully formed, she looked around at the statue and the other Akatsuki members.

"Mapou: Inre Shishitsu," spoke Rokubi, as she took her human form. She appeared in a plain, pale blue dress. She had six flowing tails, claws, fangs, and wolf ears. She looked up at the group again.

"So, this is what you're going to be putting me in. I don't suppose there's a bed in there, is there?" asked Rokubi.

"It's not for comfort, it's for holding beasts. I didn't think any would willingly commit to this, after all," replied Pein.

"Fair enough. My only condition is that once this is all over, you put me back in him. He knows how to make the seal, he just needs someone to do it for him. Do you agree?" asked Rokubi.

"Very well, I will grant your request," replied Pein.

"Alright. Keep in eye on my Kit, will you? I've kept him straight all these years. Someone else is going to have to take up the reins in my absence. Later. Mapou: Chitsujo suru Fukki," spoke Rokubi, as she returned to Ookami's body.

"So, I take it there are no problems?" asked Ookami.

"None at all," replied Pein.

"Alright. Naruto, the empty finger is for you. Just follow what the others are doing. Let's get this show on the road," spoke Ookami, as he took his place in the center. The ritual took the normal three days and nights. All the members participated in reviving Ookami.

"Damn... feels like a bomb went off in the back of my head... that sure does hurt like Hell... glad that's over," spoke Ookami.

"You alright?" asked Hinata.

"I'll... he he... live," replied Ookami.

"Here's your stuff," spoke Naruto.

"Good, looks like I won't have to pound it out of you. And don't think I couldn't, by the way. Just because I'm without my bijuu doesn't mean I lost my abilities. Your friend Gaara should be proof of that. Now then, I need a nap... badly..." muttered Ookami, as he headed off towards his room. Hinata followed.

"He seems relatively calm, all things considered, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Yeah, I thought he would be a little more upset with us," spoke Hidan.

"He knew what he was getting himself into. We help him, he helps us. That's how he planned it out," spoke Pein.

"He did seem a little upset, though," spoke Konan.

"Yeah, it would seem that he was actually on good terms with his beast. He wasn't just using her for power. It seems there was a bond between them," spoke Kisame.

"So it would seem," spoke Itachi.

"He'll cheer up in due time. For now, we should just leave him alone," spoke Pein.

"Agreed," spoke all the other members.

"What about me?" asked Naruto.

"Get ready for your turn in a few weeks, because that's how long it will be before it's your turn," spoke Pein.

Naruto shivered a little at the thought. The demon in his head went silent.

In Ookami's room, Ookami was pulling up his blanket, while Hinata was thinking of what to do.

"You miss her already, don't you?" asked Hinata.

"And it hasn't even been that long. I loved her as I would a parent. She really did raise me, for the most part. I wouldn't know what a parent was otherwise," replied Ookami.

"You two will be together again soon enough, Ookami-kun."

"I know. I still don't like the idea of having her being used for some jutsu, but we both agreed this would be the best way to go about our goals. We'll get that lousy Mizukage, one way or the other. If this is what we have to do, then so be it... but still, I don't like it."

"You just need to get used to it. Just look at it like finally getting a chance to spend time away from your parents."

"_Kit... it's cramped in here..."_ spoke a voice in Ookami's head.

"_Eh? So it worked, huh? We still have a connection, Rokubi,"_ replied Ookami.

"_Yeah, as long as you don't stray too far from here. I'm going to sleep. I'm just as tired as you. Goodnight, Kit,"_ spoke Rokubi.

"_Goodnight,"_ replied Ookami.

"You're smiling," spoke Hinata.

"Yeah, Rokubi and I tried this mind link jutsu, so we would be able to still communicate. As long as I'm nearby, I can still talk to her," replied Ookami, with a big smile on his face.

"I'm happy for you, Ookami-kun."

"Yeah... I think I'm going to sleep now."

"Okay, mind if I join you?"

"You don't even have to ask."

Hinata and Ookami went into a peaceful sleep, both with smiles on their faces.

_A/N: More name game fun! This time it's Takeru. Akakashi can be spelled as __朱__, which means red. Takeru can be spelled as __丈__, which means height (and a slew of other things related to height and its related measurements). I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't forget to review!!_


	12. Taking Flight

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; if I did, there would be more focus on the Akatsuki_

**Chapter 12: Taking Flight**

Ookami and Hinata woke up the next morning to the sound of Ookami's alarm clock. Ookami sat up gently, so as not to disturb Hinata, and rubbed the back of his head. Ookami sat in silence for a moment, peacing together the events of the previous day. Ookami was taking in the fact that he was no longer holding the rokubi within his being. He realized how empty his mind was without her constant presence. He could sense her stirring from within the statue, willing to talk to him about her first night in the statue.

"_I swear, I never want to have to go through that again,"_ spoke the rokubi.

"_I understand. I didn't particularly enjoy the process, either. Three days of experiencing what felt like someone slowly driving a nail into my skull. Thank goodness I was able to convince that Naruto kid to take my place. Anything that could have caused that to go on for longer really would have been a bit too much to bear,"_ replied Ookami.

"_Well, at least it's all over now. And you survived the process. Plus, it's not like we won't be reunited again. You shouldn't worry about it all too much. It's all in the past now,"_ spoke the rokubi.

"_I suppose. So, do you still feel cramped in there?" _asked Ookami.

"_It's no worse than being cramped in your head, really. At least I don't have to share space with the others. The last thing I want is to have to deal with that dragon rattling on and on about how, in the end, I have to deal with the same fate as he. Even if I do go and tell him that I was the only the one who put him in this situation, all he'll do is whine about it,"_ replied the rokubi.

"_Well, I'll be sure to let Pein know that he did a good job in designing the statue. It would be a real shame if you didn't like your accommodations in there,"_ spoke Ookami.

"_Watch the sarcasm. I may not be in your body right now, but since we still have our link, I can still find ways to make your life a living Hell,"_ replied the rokubi.

"_I know, I know. I was just messing with you," _spoke Ookami.

"_Were you now? You know, you should really lay off that bad humor of yours. You know how much I hate that," _replied the rokubi.

"_Well, Hinata likes it when I get silly like that," _ spoke Ookami.

"_Well, that's good for her. That's why she's your girlfriend, and I'm your parental figure in the form of a demon with a short temper. Double emphasis on short temper," _replied the rokubi.

"_Hai, kaa-san. I'll ease off of it," _spoke Ookami.

"_Good boy. Remember, as long as you are anywhere near here, you best to control your thoughts," _replied the rokubi.

"_Like I always do?" _asked Ookami.

"_Oh? All the impure thoughts about the young one sleeping next to you would suggest to me you aren't quite the nice guy you push yourself off as,"_ replied the rokubi.

"_Hey!! Those thoughts are private!! I thought we agreed that you wouldn't go poking around in that part of my mind!!"_ shouted Ookami.

"_Who said I was poking around in that part of your mind? I always wondered what you kept in there. Thanks for telling me," _replied the rokubi.

"_Yo... yo... you tri...tri... tricked me!!" _shouted Ookami.

"_And you fell for it, hook, line, and sinker," _replied the rokubi.

"_Grr..."_ muttered Ookami.

"_I'll leave you be for now. I would hate to have the lovely lady beside you thinking you were going crazy, having strange conversations with people in your head and what not. Later,"_ replied the rokubi.

"_Yeah... later... uh... I just had to get the strange one stuck in my head..." _thought Ookami.

"_I heard that!!" _shouted the rokubi.

"_Gomennasai..." _muttered Ookami.

"Ookami-kun..." muttered Hinata, as she grabbed a hold of Ookami's leg, and rested her head in his lap.

"Ah, Hinata-chan..." muttered Ookami, as he gently rubbed the back of her head. Ookami could see her blushing in her sleep, leaving him wondering what it was she was seeing within her dream scape. Seeing as Hinata's position made it impossible for him to get out of bed without waking her, Ookami decided he would stay with her for a little while longer. He didn't really feel like getting out of bed right away, anyway. He gently laid back, and drifted back to sleep. The pair fell back into their sleep again, not to be disturbed for another couple of hours. At that time, a loud scream woke up everyone asleep in the base.

"I didn't mean to, hm!!" roared the voice of Deidara throughout the base.

"Oh? You didn't mean to, eh!? Then why were you hands halfway down my pants!? They didn't put themselves there!!" roared the voice of Yugito in reply.

"I can't help what happens while I'm sleeping!!" shouted Deidara.

"Oh!? You seemed to be enjoying it far too much for it to have been an accident!!" shouted Yugito.

"Uh... I was sleeping so peacefully, too..." muttered Ookami.

"Is this what happens when you are unable to keep an eye on him?" asked Hinata.

"Apparently..." muttered Ookami.

"Get out!!" shouted Yugito.

"Hey, you were liking it until you woke up, hm!!" shouted Deidara.

"I was dreaming of someone other than you!! Damn hand mouths ruined my fantasy!!" shouted Yugito.

"I so did _not_ need to hear that..." muttered Ookami.

"Yugito-chan..." muttered Hinata. _"I only have those kinds of dreams about Ookami-kun."_

"I'll bet!! You know you liked it!!" shouted Deidara.

"I'd rather kiss the living rag doll than you!!" shouted Yugito.

"Well, by all means, try sharing a bed with him, hm. Don't come crying to me when you get tangled up in those threads in ways you wouldn't want to!!" shouted Deidara.

"How do you know I wouldn't want to? Maybe I was dreaming about him!! Did you ever think of that!?" shouted Yugito.

"Must... remove... mental images..." muttered Ookami.

Hinata fainted at the horrible thought of Kakuzu and Yugito doing things best kept being closed doors.

"Tobi is scared!!"

"For once, I think I agree with mask boy. What do you think, Hinata-chan? Hinata-chan?" asked Ookami, as he noticed the Hyuga has passed out on his lap.

"Oh, I can already tell this is going to be a fun day..." muttered Ookami.

"How's that work for you!? Here, let me help. Oh... Kakuzu!!" shouted Yugito.

"Stop it!!" shouted Deidara.

"Do it harder, you beautify hunk of twine!!" shouted Yugito.

"Stop, hm!!" shouted Deidara.

"Both of you, shut the fuck up!! You know how much I hate being woken up like this!! The next one to make so much as peep gets their arm ripped out of their socket!!" shouted Pein.

"About time..." muttered Ookami.

"How about with leader-sama!? I bet you would love that!! It would sure be an upgrade!!" shouted Yugito.

"This isn't going to end well..." muttered Ookami.

"That's it!! You know what, you want to play the game, I'll give you everything you wanted and more. Itachi!!" shouted Pein.

"Hai!!" shouted Itachi.

Ookami could hear the sound of a door opening, followed by the sound of the door to Deidara's room being torn off its hinges. Deidara and Yugito screamed loudly a few seconds later.

"Mangekyou Sharingan... glad I didn't piss him off this morning..." muttered Ookami.

"Taken care of!!" shouted Itachi, as he closed the door to his room.

"Arigatou, Itachi!!" shouted Pein.

"I'm scared to ask, and yet I must know at the same time..." muttered Ookami.

"Ookami-kun..." muttered Hinata, as she began to stir.

"Oh, Hinata-chan. You alright?" asked Ookami.

"I'm okay, just thought too hard about what Yugito was saying," replied Hinata.

"I know what you mean. That's still nothing compared to what I saw the time I stole this ring from Orochimaru. Uh... you know, I think I'll go and plant a bomb in his cell. I think it would make for a nice wake-up call for him. After all, why should he get to sleep peacefully?" spoke Ookami.

Ookami reached over into the set of drawers he had in the table on his side of the bed. There was some of his clay hidden in the back. Ookami made a small bomb, and sent it off through the base. An explosion, followed by a scream, could be heard throughout the base.

"Snake's awake!!" shouted Ookami.

One by one, the Akatsuki members managed to drag themselves out of bed. It was unusual for them to sleep in so late, even after they performed the sealing ritual. Mikoto decided to combine breakfast and lunch that morning. Everyone was staring strangely at Ookami as the group waited at the table for their meal.

"So... Ookami, you feel any different?" asked Pein.

"Hai, Leader-sama. I feel more able to think freely... well, as long as Rokubi is asleep," replied Ookami.

"You mean as long as she _was_ asleep while she was in your body, right, hm?" asked Deidara.

"No, we were able to use this jutsu she created to maintain a mind link with one another," replied Ookami.

"Eh?" spoke Deidara.

"We knew this was going to happen, so we worked on a way to maintain a link with one another. We're too used to each other; it's kind of hard just to hit the off switch," replied Ookami.

"Can she still provide you with some of her power?" asked Pein.

"No; your statue is sealed tight. If she could do that, then she would be able to escape. Her presence within my body did leave me with her kekkei genkai, so I still have that. That's about it, though," replied Ookami.

"Makes sense. We wouldn't want her escaping," spoke Konan.

"Yeah, we plan on keeping up our end of the deal. We're not going to try anything. I joined of my own free will, after all. Speaking of which, who's going after the nanabi?" asked Ookami.

"Well, we were going to send Sasori after the rokubi, leaving Zetsu to take care of the nanabi, but, since you've taken care of the rokubi for us, and Zetsu would serve us better as a spy, we'll give Sasori the task of taking care of the nanabi. This isn't going to pose a problem for you, right?" asked Pein.

"No, it's not an issue. I could use a good excuse to get away from here for a few days," replied Sasori.

"Tobi wants to help, too!"

"Yes, Tobi, I'll let you help. Don't forget the golden rule of being around me, and you should be fine," spoke Sasori.

"Golden rule of being around you?" asked Ookami.

"Danna reserves the right to kill you if you piss him off, hm," replied Deidara.

"Oh... makes sense..." muttered Ookami.

"Does the nanabi have a jinchuuriki?" asked Sasori.

"Hai, the jinchuuriki of the Nanabi no Taka is Takasaki Takimi," replied Zetsu.

"Takasaki... they're the clan responsible for producing jinchuuriki for the nanabi," spoke Kakuzu.

"You know about the clan?" asked Zetsu.

"I know they've been active since I was last a shinobi of Takigakure," replied Kakuzu.

"Must be a really old clan," spoke Hidan.

"I'll ignore that comment," replied Kakuzu.

"So... staying on topic, she's a high jonin of Takigakure. Getting to her won't be easy," spoke Zetsu.

"Not surprising; they've likely built up their defenses since I was last here. Never thought my defection would come back to bite me in the ass like this," replied Kakuzu.

"We could always send you after her," spoke Pein.

"I would be the worst choice. They've likely changed the village around a lot since I was last there. And they know how most of my jutsu work. I don't like taking risks like that without the proper compensation, and I doubt anyone here could provide me with said compensation," replied Kakuzu.

"Well, you can't argue with that," spoke Ookami.

"It's all about that damn money of yours, isn't?" asked Hidan.

"It's better than turning down a mission because there's no killing allowed," replied Kakuzu.

"Say that again!!" shouted Hidan.

"Hold your tongue, or lose it!!" shouted Pein, "Continue, Zetsu."

"As I said, getting to her won't be easy. They have heavy fortifications set up along the perimeter. They are fully aware of our activity in the area through their various contacts with the other shinobi villages. Anyone sent there would have to keep a low profile. Once you get in, you'd have be careful not to stand out too much. Asking too much about her would raise suspicion immediately, regardless of who you are. Even if you impersonate someone, they are all prepared to deal with us coming after her. Your best bet would be to lay low until she appeared in a place you could get to without much interference," explained Zetsu.

"Sounds like a real shinobi's mission. Sasori no danna should be more than capable of taking it on, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Sasori's not the only one on the mission," spoke Ookami.

"Tobi will be able to do it!!"

"Well, it's been nice knowing you, Sasori. Don't worry, I'm sure one of us will be able to get her if you don't make it," spoke Kisame.

"Tobi is glad to have known Sasori-senpai!"

"Again, why did you let him become a part of the group?" asked Sasori.

"He has some redeeming qualities," replied Pein.

"Oh? Name one?" asked Sasori.

"He keeps up a cheerful atmosphere," replied Pein.

"Name two," spoke Sasori.

"Tobi is a good boy," replied Pein.

"Grr... name three..." grumbled Sasori.

"I think you better stop. Something tells me he could go on all day," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah, I'm scared of what would happen if you continued to grind the ax with leader-sama, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Fine," replied Sasori.

"Hey guys, it's almost ready," spoke Mikoto.

"Sweet, what are we having?" asked Ookami.

"Waffles and hot dogs," replied Mikoto.

"Hot dogs?" asked Kisame.

"They were on sale," replied Kakuzu.

"Cheap bastard..." muttered Hidan.

"Say it again!" shouted Kakuzu.

"Cheap bas..."

"Say it, and you'll find yourself surrounded by cuddly teddy bears for the next seventy-two hours," spoke Itachi.

"...I mean, smart economic decision, Kakuzu," spoke Hidan.

"That's better," spoke Itachi.

"Wow... Itachi's temper is holding much better this morning than it normally does," spoke Kisame.

"Hai," replied the other Akatsuki members.

"Alright, it's ready," spoke Mikoto.

"Yay!!" shouted Tobi.

"Here's the syrup and butter. Oh, and here's the ketchup and rolls for the hot dogs," spoke Mikoto.

"Do we have any mustard?" asked Tobi.

"Sure, we have some," replied Mikoto.

"What about pickle relish?" asked Ookami.

"We have some of that, too," replied Mikoto.

"Sweet," spoke Ookami.

"Do we have any fruit spreads?" asked Hinata.

"Well... there is this can of cherry pie filling. I didn't plan on baking a pie, so I can open that for you," replied Mikoto.

"Arigatou," spoke Hinata.

"That sounds like a good idea, save some for me, Hinata," spoke Yugito.

"No problem, Yugito-san," replied Hinata.

"Anyone want anything else? Speak now, because once I sit down, you're getting it yourself," spoke Mikoto.

"We're good. Sit down and eat," spoke Pein.

Mikoto took a seat with the other Akatsuki members, and the group enjoyed their breakfast. Their meal was enjoyed in relative peace and quiet. Hidan was still worried about having to get stuck in one of Itachi's genjutsu to try and start something with Kakuzu. Konan and Hinata helped Mikoto with the dishes, while Sasori and Tobi went to gather their supplies for their mission.

"So, you guys need anything special? If you need some weaponry, I always keep more than I need," spoke Ookami.

"How extensive is your weapons collection?" asked Sasori.

"Well, I take the weapons off of shinobi that I kill, so I have a wide range of weaponry available, from kunai and shuriken to swords of varying sizes. Not to mention I bought some zanbatou from Kiri before I left. When it comes to heavy swords, Kiri is the place to go," replied Ookami.

"The reason I ask is because I could always use more weapons for my puppets," replied Sasori.

"Ah, I see. Well, the next time you are working on a new puppet, let me know, and I'll give you a couple of my weapons scrolls. I'm sure you'll find some useful things in there. You might even be able to tell me about some of the poisoned weapons. I've been too scared to even handle those after I procured them," spoke Ookami.

"Poisoned weapons are nothing to be played with. If you don't want them, I could use them. I don't normally use poisons not of my own design, but they could be fun for making regular battle puppets. I make those from time to time when I don't have a person to work with," replied Sasori.

"Sure, I'll drop it off in your workshop. They're just basic storage scrolls; they're not keyed to me, so you should be able to retrieve the items without a problem," spoke Ookami.

"Alright. Make sure you don't touch anything while you are in there. Just leave it on my work bench. I'll see it," replied Sasori.

"No problem," spoke Ookami.

"Tobi is ready!!"

"Do you have everything that you need?" asked Sasori.

"Hai!!" shouted Tobi.

"Are you sure?" asked Sasori.

"Yep!!" shouted Tobi.

"Be absolutely sure about this. I'm not coming back after we leave if you forgot something, no matter how much you beg me to. Even if we're only two steps out the door, once we leave, we don't come back until our mission is completed. Do you understand?" asked Sasori.

"Yep, I got everything I need," replied Tobi.

"Alright, we're heading out, then. We'll contact you as soon as we have the jinchuuriki," spoke Sasori.

"I'll be waiting for you to make contact at our base in Taki no Kuni," spoke Pein.

"Let's go. You know how I hate keeping people in wait," spoke Sasori.

"Okay," replied Tobi.

Sasori hopped into his Hiruko puppet, and the pair left. A couple seconds later, Tobi came back running through the door.

"Tobi forgot his kunai."

"Tobi!! What did I tell you!!" shouted Sasori.

"Tobi will be right there, Sasori-senpai!"

A scorpion tale came flying through the door, in the general direction Tobi was headed. The tail grabbed Tobi, and pulled him out through the door. He did appear to have his missing kunai with him.

"Okay, nothing seemed at all out of place about that, right?" asked Kisame.

"Right," replied Ookami.

"Huh... It's been a while since the last time he had to do that... it wasn't at all comfortable, hm," spoke Deidara.

"What did you forget?" asked Ookami.

"Clay. I wanted to have some extra clay with me. I was able to get to one of my bags before the tail got me, hm," replied Deidara.

"Note to self, when traveling with Sasori, make sure I have what I need," muttered Ookami.

"I don't think you have too much to worry about. From the looks of all those storage scrolls you have, it would seem your safe from forgetting things," spoke Kisame.

"You would think that, but I'm just as prone to forgetting things as anyone else. Thank goodness I don't need much. As long as I have some clay, water, and my trusty katana, I don't have anything to worry about," replied Ookami.

"Yeah, all I need is my friend here," spoke Kisame, while holding up the Samehada.

"That is a nice sword. Nice and big. I have some that are that big within my supplies," replied Ookami.

"You know, I wouldn't mind taking a look at all the weapons you have, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Since you said you have some big swords, I have to admit, I'm curious, too," spoke Kisame.

"Sure, why not, it's not everyday I get to showoff," replied Ookami.

"You have katanas?" asked Itachi.

"Yeah, sure," replied Ookami.

"Alright; I could use a new one. The one I have now has been sharpened too many times; if I try to sharpen it again, there won't be anything left," spoke Itachi.

"I'm sure I have something for you," replied Ookami.

The group of four walked over to Ookami's room. Ookami opened up his closet, and pulled out his weapons storage scrolls. He set aside the scroll that held his poisoned weapons, and pulled out his sword scrolls. Ookami opened up the scrolls, and unsealed the weapons within. A small weapons rack appeared, holding swords of varying sizes.

"Whoa... this one looks a lot like the one Zabuza used to use..." muttered Kisame.

"Yeah, someone's attempt at replicating his sword. It doesn't have the holes in it, but it's made of a lighter weight metal, so it has more speed, at the cost of power. It was used by one of the Seven Pansies of the Mist, right before I blew his legs out from under him. I figured he wouldn't need a sword anymore, since he couldn't stand up to use it, anyway," replied Ookami.

"How long did that fight last?" asked Kisame.

"About thirty seconds. I had set up a trap for a team pursuing me out of Kiri. Poor bastard never knew what happened to him. His team was so broken up by his defeat... they didn't last much longer. These katanas belonged to them," replied Ookami.

"You have any more like the one you gave me, hm?" asked Deidara.

"I have one spare. Those are really hard to come by. They cost a lot. I would have to sell at least six of these high grade katanas to be able to afford another one," answered Ookami.

"Interesting. I wouldn't mind trying out one of those katanas," spoke Itachi.

"Here, try this one out. It was forged with ore that conducts chakra. I'd be curious to see how it would respond to your fire-natured chakra," replied Ookami, as he picked out the katana, and handed it to Itachi.

"Hmm... it's a little heavy," spoke Itachi, as he waved it around to get a feel for it.

"Yeah, that one was meant for power more than speed. If you use your fire chakra, though, that may change it a little. Give it a shot," spoke Ookami.

Itachi channeled some of his chakra into the weapon, making it glow like heated metal. Itachi waved it around again. His swings seemed to be faster than they were before.

"That does make it lighter, and the added heat would make it a much more deadly weapon," spoke Itachi.

"It's yours if you want it. I don't mind giving away a few of these. It's not like I paid for any of them, anyway," spoke Ookami.

"Arigatou," replied Itachi.

"None of these are as nice as my Samehada, so I'll just look. I wouldn't mind seeing how that one handles," spoke Kisame, while pointing towards a scaled weapon.

"This one was an attempt at forging a second Samehada. It doesn't absorb chakra, but it does shave a few layers off, if you know what I mean. It's relatively light. I'm not sure how that compares to the Samehada, since no one else can use it except for you, but your free to give it a try," replied Ookami.

Kisame pulled the weapon off the rack, and twisted it around a little, trying to a feel for it. A small smirk crossed his face as he set the weapon back down.

"Not bad, but not me. It does have some speed to it, but that's all it's got going for it," spoke Kisame.

"I figured as much. Some fool tried to attack me with it. He was hoping to become one of the Seven. After I separated his arm from the rest of his body, he gave up on his attempts. Guess he wasn't ambidextrous. I don't know where the little chump got the thing, or how it was made. It is well put together, considering how it's a knockoff of your weapon," explained Ookami.

"I see," replied Kisame.

"What kind of light weaponry you got?" asked Deidara.

"Oh, a lot of throwing weapons. I do have some unique ones, though these swords are by far the most impressive weapons in my collection. I'll show you, and let you be the judge," replied Ookami. He went over to the left side of the weapons rack, and forced his chakra into a small seal on the side. The rack was resealed within his storage scroll. Ookami picked up another scroll, and unsealed it, revealing a large cabinet. Ookami opened it to reveal small weapons of multiple kinds.

"As you can see, I have a full spread of these, too," spoke Ookami.

"What are these for, hm?" asked Deidara, while pointing at some senbon with bells attached to them.

"These? I picked them up off of some Oto-nin. They look like the kind you use to create distractions with, but they're actually used for a weak genjutsu. It's a good way to rattle the nerves of any genin your forced into dealing with... especially the loud, blond kind," replied Ookami.

"Tried to use them on him before?" asked Deidara.

"I wanted to, but Hinata wouldn't let me. She was fond of him when she was younger, so I opted not to. If the little brat gives me a good reason to, though, I will. Maybe I'll save them for a good prank. I'm not much for genjutsu. I don't really use it in a fight. I just taught myself how to defend against genjutsu," replied Ookami.

"Genjutsu has its perks. You should see what happens when Itachi uses his best genjutsu. His opponents don't look the same afterwards," spoke Kisame.

"I don't doubt it. I wouldn't try to challenge Itachi to a genjutsu duel; Hell, I wouldn't even joke about trying to take on Itachi's genjutsu," replied Ookami.

"And you shouldn't," spoke Itachi.

"What are these?" asked Deidara, while pointing at some shuriken with a strange pattern etched into them.

"These are Iwa's pathetic attempt at replicating our style of fighting. They're kibaku shuriken. They one thing they have going for them is that if you bury them into your opponent before detonating them, you have a higher chance of messing up your opponents internal organs. A rather nasty thing to do to someone. Not quite so artistic, though. I just kept them for laughs. They're not really that hard to make. There are some matching kunai that go with them," explained Ookami.

"Maybe I'll bum a couple off you, just to play around with, hm," replied Deidara.

"Help yourself. I could actually make those if you find yourself wanting some more. I would think Sasori would get more use out of them than us, though," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah, small weapons are his thing," replied Deidara.

"But would he really use exploding weapons? He goes on and on about how he likes art that lasts forever," spoke Kisame.

"True, but that's more about his puppets. The weapons they use are disposable, for the most part. It's not like anyone every goes around a battlefield collecting weapons, hm," replied Deidara.

"No one except me, anyway," spoke Ookami.

"Right, well, you only get the cool ones," replied Deidara.

"That's true. If it's something I can easily find elsewhere, I don't bother," spoke Ookami.

"Have any more interesting small weapons, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Well, there are these," replied Ookami, as he picked up a three pronged kunai with a seal wrapped around it. The seal appeared to have been used already.

"I found a lot of these in Iwa. A sad attempt at trying to duplicate the secret jutsu of Konoha's Yellow Flash," spoke Ookami.

"What happened when they tried to use these?" asked Deidara.

"Various things, from exploding, to killing the user. Amateur's shouldn't touch sealing... ever," answered Ookami.

"Some of these seals look like they do other things," spoke Deidara.

"Yeah, some of them are storage seals. They can be used to make cluster weapons. A different approach to using kage shuriken no jutsu. Those can make for a nasty surprise. I can make these for anyone who wants them. Just like the kibaku shuriken, these aren't really all that artistic, so I don't use them. Some of them hold other things, like elements that can be manipulated for jutsu. There are a lot of water storage ones. Quite handy for aiding in the performance of suiton jutsu, though, you wouldn't really need such things. I rarely use suiton jutsu, myself. And Kisame seems to have found a way around having to have a lake or something nearby," replied Ookami.

"It is a rather useful jutsu. And I have the chakra stores to pull it off," spoke Kisame.

"Those are the highlights of these. I don't really have too many more of interest in here. I'll just make a list of these for Sasori. I didn't really think about it before, but he would find these of use," spoke Ookami.

"You know, with all the weapons you have, you should consider opening up a shop, or something, hm. You could make some good money off of all these," spoke Deidara.

"Did someone say money?" asked Kakuzu, as he suddenly appeared in Ookami's room.

"Don't even think about. I have no interest in opening up a shop, and I'm not about to let anyone else try to open a shop with my weapons. If I find so much as a shuriken missing, I'm going to find out what happens when your head comes off, Kakuzu," replied Ookami.

"Like you could do it," spoke Kakuzu.

"Don't tempt me," replied Ookami, as he sealed up the weapons he had out.

"You should really think about it, though. We could always use more money," spoke Kakuzu.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm not really into the being rich thing, though. Most of the things I need, I just end up with through some other means. I don't even have to sell weapons for food anymore. I'd rather hold onto them. Some of them have some fun stories to go with them. Maybe I'll save some for any kids I may have in the future," replied Ookami.

"You should make your kids earn them," spoke Kakuzu.

"They will, but I'm not going to force them into buying them off of me," replied Ookami.

"Well, since you're so willing to give weapons away, may I pick some out?" asked Kakuzu.

"Oh no, how dumb do you think I am? You're not going to take them for use, you're just interested in taking my best ones and selling them. No thanks. I need to hold onto my good ones in case I have to sell them for another one of my special katanas," replied Ookami.

"If that's how you feel about it," spoke Kakuzu, as some threads started to emerge from his sleeves. They reached around Ookami's throat, and began to choke him.

"You were warned about pissing me off," spoke Kakuzu.

Ookami pulled out his katana, and cut through the threads wrapped around him.

"I wouldn't do that again, if I was you," spoke Ookami.

"Fine. I'll just go after one of my bounties," replied Kakuzu, as he left the room.

"Geez... crazy asshole..." muttered Ookami.

"He does that from time to time. You have to be careful about having things around that can be sold off for any amount of money," spoke Kisame.

"I'll just key my scrolls. That should take care of that. Well, I did say that I was going to give these to Sasori, so I'll take care of that. If you guys have any interest in any of my weapons, let me know, and I'll see what I can do for you," replied Ookami.

"No problem, thanks for showing us," spoke Kisame.

"Yeah, that was a good way to kill an hour, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I do like this weapon," spoke Itachi.

"Great. Well, I guess I better deliver these to Sasori's workshop," spoke Ookami.

"Ookami-kun!" shouted Hinata.

"Oh, hey Hinata-chan," replied Ookami.

"I wondered what happened to you," spoke Hinata.

"I was showing off my weapons," replied Ookami.

"Oh, that does always take you a little while," spoke Hinata.

"Yeah, but it's fun to show off every now and then," replied Ookami.

"You show off your weapons a lot, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Well, I did show some off to some Konoha-nin. Kakashi found those three pronged kunai of interest. Seems he knew Konoha's Yellow Flash. I told him they were knockoffs and all. He took a couple just for laughs," replied Ookami.

"I see," replied Deidara.

"That was a fun day," spoke Ookami, as he picked up his scroll of poisonous weapons.

"Just what kinds do you have in there, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Well, all kinds, really. The only thing these share in common is that they are all treated with poisons of some kind," replied Ookami.

"You have any idea what kind?" asked Deidara.

"Not a clue. The only way to find out is to use them on someone. I had to be careful with handling them as is. I only knew how to handle them based on how my opponents held them. Some of the simpler poisons I was able to come up with antidotes for. Not much luck beyond that, though," replied Ookami.

"Sasori no danna is the poisons expert. I'm sure he'll be able to figure out the rest of them, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I would think so," replied Ookami.

Ookami, Hinata and Deidara walked towards Sasori's room. They found the door leading to his workshop, and let themselves in.

"Huh... it's pretty organized in here," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah, he keeps everything in order, hm. It's also one way for him to know if someone has been messing around in here other than him. Something about how no one else can place everything exactly as he has it, hm," replied Deidara.

"There are a lot of weapons in here," spoke Hinata.

"All kinds... it does seem like he has more than enough in here to keep himself busy for a little while with making puppets," replied Ookami.

"He makes his puppets out of bodies, right? Where do you think he keeps them?" asked Hinata.

"I'm not sure I would want to know," replied Ookami.

"Oh, he keeps them in a bunker below, hm," spoke Deidara.

"That's good to know," replied Ookami.

"Figured you would want to know so you don't have to worry about accidentally stumbling upon it, hm. When he first built this room, they were kept over there in the back. I went in there by mistake looking for his tools, hm. Those memories don't go away..." muttered Deidara.

"I don't doubt it..." muttered Ookami.

"How many does he have?" asked Hinata.

"Oh, not that many. He only keeps those he finds of interest," replied Deidara.

"Makes sense. Turning just anyone into a puppet wouldn't be of any benefit to him," spoke Ookami.

"Actually, he does have this one jutsu where he uses numbers, but he doesn't use that one too often," replied Deidara.

"What do you mean by numbers?" asked Hinata.

"A hundred. He controls a hundred at once. It's pretty rare to see him use that one, though, hm," replied Deidara.

"A hundred, huh? Sounds like that would be a challenge," spoke Ookami.

"I know a couple jutsu that are good for dealing with numbers. Maybe I should ask him to practice with me. It's hard to set up a training spare like that," spoke Hinata.

"No kidding? Well, maybe we can convince him to do that when he gets back. Hopefully he'll be in a good mood," replied Ookami.

"I doubt it; he is out with Tobi, hm," spoke Deidara.

"You do have a point. He might be happy with those weapons, though. Oh, and I have to remember to give him a list of my other small scale weapons. That should put him in a good mood," replied Ookami.

"I would think so. He does find building his puppets to be the perfect zen exercise, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Well, there you go, Hinata," spoke Ookami.

Hinata smiled in response.

"Now that I think about it, I don't ever see him practicing. I'm sure he must do some kind of training, considering how he's one of the best kugutsu no jutsu users out there. Maybe this will work out well for him, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I could always use tougher challenges when training. Lately, it feels like I've reached the limit of what I can do on my own and with my teammates. I need to try something different if I want to improve," replied Hinata.

"That's a good way of looking at it. I often change up what I do to see how I respond to different situations. That's part of why I use multiple fighting styles, so I can better adapt to different opponents," spoke Ookami.

"I can see what you mean to a point, but our clay is rather versatile, hm," replied Deidara.

"Yeah, but it does leave an awful opening in terms of close range combat. That's why I adopted a kenjutsu and taijutsu style," spoke Ookami.

"Now that I think about it, you guys and myself are opposites. You guys specialize in long range, while our clan focuses on short range," spoke Hinata.

"Hey, you have a point there. I guess in working with Sasori, you might be able to work on some longer range jutsu," replied Ookami.

"I guess what they say about opposites is true, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Maybe. I've sparred a couple times with Hinata. Juuken is not fun to get hit by, even if it's only a training spar, those strikes still hurt," replied Ookami.

"I could say the same about those explosives of yours. They leave a nice little burn mark," spoke Hinata.

"Just how intense are your spares?" asked Deidara.

"You know that feeling you get when you create a new type of explosion?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah," replied Deidara.

"It's like that feeling. That's how intense," spoke Ookami.

Deidara stood still for a moment, reflecting on what he had just been told.

"Well?" asked Ookami.

"How come you don't train like that with me!" shouted Deidara.

"Um... uh... well... I don't make out with you afterwards... yeah..." muttered Ookami.

"Eh?" asked Deidara.

"Well... w-when we... s-spar... afterwards w-we..." muttered Hinata.

"Oh..." muttered Deidara.

"Hey, hey, get your mind out of the gutter! We just kiss... a lot... and cuddle... but we don't do _that_!" shouted Ookami, while glowing a bright red. Hinata was equally glowing a bright red.

"W-we're going to w-wait..." muttered Hinata.

"Right, that deal. Well, I can see it's working for you two, hm," replied Deidara.

"Hey, it's the best way to go. You know, if you dropped your continuous sexual advances towards Yugito, she might start to like you back," spoke Ookami.

"I know I wouldn't go anywhere near a guy like that. You should try and take Ookami-kun's advice," spoke Hinata.

"It's not me. You have your way, I have mine, hm," replied Deidara.

"But his way works," spoke Hinata.

"Shut up!!" shouted Deidara.

"I think she hit a sore spot with that one," spoke Ookami.

"It'll work. My way just takes longer," replied Deidara.

"Hmm..." muttered Ookami.

"Go ahead, start a gambling pool. I know that's what you're thinking about, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Well, it's not as much fun if you know about it," replied Ookami.

"I'll put fifty in myself that I'll succeed," spoke Deidara.

"And now it's fun again. Let's go grab Kakuzu. He can't resist a good gambling pool," spoke Ookami.

The trio left Sasori's workshop. They were careful not to disturb anything on their way out, and carefully closed the door. The group made their way into the living room, where Kakuzu and Hidan were in another heated argument of money versus religion.

"I could buy off your Jashin if he would appear!" shouted Kakuzu.

"He would impale you with your own threads, you blasphemous old fuck!!" shouted Hidan.

"Hey boys, I got a new gambling pool going!" shouted Ookami.

"Eh?" asked Kakuzu.

"Gambling again? What this time?" asked Hidan, sounding more than irritated.

"If Deidara can get together with Yugito based on his current methods," replied Ookami.

"Bah, that's not a worthwhile bet," spoke Kakuzu.

"I got fifty on my succeeding, hm," spoke Deidara.

"And now it's interesting. Alright, a hundred on him failing," spoke Kakuzu.

"Same here, Kakuzu," spoke Ookami.

"Fifty on him failing," spoke Hinata.

"Anyone else?" asked Kakuzu.

"I'll put fifty on him succeeding," spoke Itachi.

"Are you sure about that?" asked Kakuzu.

"No, make it a hundred," replied Itachi.

"Two hundred on him failing," spoke Kisame.

"No way he'll make it, fifty on him failing," spoke Zetsu.

"I'll put fifty on him failing," spoke Pein.

"Fifty on him succeeding," spoke Konan.

"You two betting against each other again?" asked Ookami.

"It keeps things interesting for us. There's more in that bet than money, not that you want to know the details," replied Pein.

"Hai, wouldn't want to shake your little mind," replied Konan.

"Okay... the mental images are already starting up... I think I better quit while I'm ahead..." muttered Ookami.

"It's not that bad, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Yeah; they remember to use a sound barrier most of the time, so it's not like you'll notice. Not even the most extreme of the things they do," spoke Kisame.

"Indeed. The sound barrier is, quite possibly, one of the most valuable jutsu that has ever been created," replied Ookami.

"Works great when having to deal with Tobi a lot," spoke Zetsu.

"I don't doubt it," replied Ookami.

"I wonder how Sasori no danna would bet?" asked Deidara.

"He'd probably sink his life savings into you failing," spoke Kisame.

"And Tobi would probably sink his life savings into you succeeding, because he has so much faith in his senpai," spoke Ookami.

"Well, at least someone does, hm," replied Deidara.

"Yeah, someone with a mental disability," spoke Kisame.

"Hey, Itachi bet on my success... for some reason... hm..." muttered Deidara.

"It's a hunch; that's all I'm going to say," replied Itachi.

"Well, can't argue with that logic," spoke Kisame.

"You know, now that you mentioned them, I have to wonder how danna and Tobi are doing," spoke Deidara.

"Well, Sasori is probably two steps from ripping off Tobi's head for giving them away, forcing them into having to fight a couple squads of Taki-nin. If I had to guess, anyway," spoke Kisame.

"I'd be willing to bet on that one if we didn't already have a bet going. That, and it would be kind of hard to know how it went one way or the other," spoke Ookami.

"Besides, Tobi always messes up. Why did you allow him to help out our organization again?" asked Kisame.

"He brings a cheerful spirit to the group," replied Pein.

"He does do that much. Our lives might get boring if he wasn't around," spoke Kisame.

"Even I find the annoying little bastard amusing sometimes," replied Hidan.

"That says a lot, coming from you," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah, yeah, I never said I hated him," replied Hidan.

"Sasori probably does right about now, though, hm," spoke Deidara.

In Takigakure, Sasori and Tobi were walking the streets disguised as a pair of Taki-nin. Just as Zetsu had told them, the village was on alert for the approach of Akatsuki members. The defenses around the village were as strong as they had ever been, and there were several patrols in the area, not to mention a dedicated force within the village to deal with any Akatsuki members who do attempt to make a move against the village. Sasori was doing his best to lay low, while gathering information on Takasaki Takimi. So far, he has found little. It seems that talk about her and her current whereabouts are not known by most of the villagers, though many were talking about her in light of Akatsuki's mission to capture her.

"Hey, you think the Akatsuki are finally going to make a move? I heard they captured the jinchuuriki of the gobi," spoke one Taki-nin.

"Meh, they still have to find the holder of the rokubi. They seem to be capturing them in order," spoke another Taki-nin.

"Nah, I think they captured him already. I heard that the guy was a member of Akatsuki," spoke the first Taki-nin.

"Seriously? A jinchuuriki joined Akatsuki? That would have been suicide. I wouldn't buy into it," replied the second Taki-nin.

"I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss that rumor; I've heard of it as well," spoke the disguised Sasori.

"Have you, now? Hmm... have we met before?" asked the first Taki-nin.

"I don't believe so. My name is Akajio," replied Sasori.

"I guess not. I'm Sakana. My partner here is Kan," replied the first Taki-nin.

"My assistant's name is Shioga," replied Sasori.

"I'm Shioga!!" shouted Tobi.

"His mind isn't what is used to be. Really bad battle. Said battle is why he wears that mask, before you ask," replied Sasori.

"Oh... I see," spoke Sakana.

"Where did you here that rumor from, Akajio? I've heard no such thing," spoke Kan.

"I heard it while I was out on patrol, from a man claiming to have information on Akatsuki," replied Sasori.

"Yeah, that's how I heard about it, too," spoke Sakana.

"Shioga heard about it from Akajio!" shouted Tobi.

"That's... nice... hey, want to head to the bar? I'd be interested to compare notes with you. I want to know as much about Akatsuki as possible," spoke Sakana.

"Sure, why not? I could always use more information myself. Information spreads faster when carried throughout the ranks," replied Sasori.

"Shioga wants to join!" shouted Tobi.

"Shioga, why don't you be a good boy, and take a walk around the village? The exercise will do you good," replied Sasori.

"Okay!!" shouted Tobi, as he walked off.

"Is it safe to let him walk around alone?" asked Kan.

"I'm not really sure. All I know is that if he pisses someone off, his hard head will protect him from harm," replied Sasori.

"You have a point there. Alright," spoke Kan. The trio walked into a nearby bar, and took a table for themselves. Sakana pulled out a small notebook and pencil, while Kan looked at the two he was with, waiting for them to start speaking.

"So, you wanna start?" asked Sakana.

"Yeah, sure. I know there are ten full members total. Most of them act in pairs. There's one who acts alone, though I'm not sure of why. I hear they're members are from multiple villages. I even heard that the man who caused a ruckus here a while ago, Kakuzu, was a member at some point in time," replied Sasori.

"Kakuzu? Yeah, I heard about that, too. He can't possibly still be around, though. If he is, he would be too old to fight for more than a few minutes, anyway," spoke Sakana.

"I wouldn't doubt the age of someone. The knowledge gained through experience can be just as powerful as any other weapon," replied Sasori.

"So? If you'll break in two after getting hit once, then what's the point?" asked Sakana.

"If the guy never gets hit, it wouldn't be an issue. His experience might give him insight to avoiding most of the common jutsu of the world, and a good idea of how to deal with advanced jutsu," replied Sasori.

"You have me there, I'll give you that. But he's probably long dead, anyway. What else do you know?" asked Sakana.

"There is indeed a pair heading for here. They may have already found there way into the village," replied Sasori.

"I would believe that there is a pair on the way here, but there's no way they could have gotten in, with our defenses as high as they are. Not even a fly could get into this village undetected," spoke Sakana.

"_Tobi got in. Even with my help, that's still saying something, baka," _thought Sasori.

"I'm not so sure about that. There were those smugglers that got through a few months ago," spoke Kan.

"They didn't look suspicious. These Akatsuki guys standout. They were these black cloaks with red clouds. Really hard to miss. These guys looked like regular traders," replied Sakana.

"Yeah, and if one of the Akatsuki was with them, then what?" asked Sasori.

"What do you mean, Akajio?" asked Sakana.

"If I wanted to get into the village, and I was a member of Akatsuki, I wouldn't have made it so obvious. I would sneak in with some traders to get pass your security," replied Sasori.

"These guys got around security completely. There's no way a disguised person could make it through a checkpoint. You know how thorough they search everyone coming in. No way someone could make it through," spoke Sakana.

"There's nothing wrong with having some pride in the village, but you should avoid being overconfident, you know," replied Sasori.

"He's right. You know, Akajio, you seem like someone who is at least forty. You talk like someone who has been through a lot," spoke Kan.

"I ain't that old; I'm only thirty-five. I have seen a lot over the years, though," replied Sasori.

"I see. Well, still, our defenses have improved even more in light of the incident with the smugglers," spoke Sakana.

"I suppose so. I suppose Lady Takimi should be more than safe from Akatsuki," replied Sasori.

"Damn right. Ain't no way in Hell I'd let one of those bastards do anything to her," spoke Sakana.

"Same goes for me," spoke Kan.

"I sure won't allow anything to happen to her. I have to wonder where she is, though. I haven't seen her around lately," spoke Sasori.

"Yeah, most haven't. She's kept a really low profile. She should, though. Just in case," replied Kan.

"Bah, she shouldn't have to act so cautious in her own village. I think it's ridiculous that she has to go through this," spoke Sakana.

"Careful, you wouldn't want others to hear you say that," spoke Sasori.

"Fuck 'em. I think this is pointless. There's no way they'll get at her while she's in this village! She should be about to do whatever she wants as a shinobi of Takigakure no Sato!" shouted Sakana.

"Easy, I heard ANBU are mixed in throughout the populace, looking for anyone taking too much interest in Lady Takimi," spoke Sasori.

"So what? I want to know where she is right now, so I can tell her that she doesn't have to hide anymore," replied Sakana.

"You want to know where she is right now?" asked a kunoichi who happened to walk by.

"Yeah. You know where she is?" asked Sakana.

"Sure, she's with me," replied the kunoichi.

"Well, can I see her? I want to tell her myself!" shouted Sakana.

"Sure..." replied the kunoichi, as she pulled out a kunai and binders, and restrained Sakana.

"What the Hell!?" shouted Sakana.

"You've taken too much interest in things that are not of your concern. That is all I have to say," replied the kunoichi, as she dropped her disguise, revealing the form of a Taki ANBU. She disappeared, taking Sakana with her.

"Well, I tried to warn him," spoke Sasori.

"Yeah. He tends to let his emotions run wild. This is the third time this has happened. He still hasn't caught on. You would think they would give up on him," replied Kan.

"You can never be too sure. If a member of Akatsuki found out about his personality, they might try to impersonate him, and ask around for information. That would be bad if the ANBU decided not to try and arrest him anymore," explained Sasori.

"Ah, that makes sense. I wonder if that was really him?" asked Kan.

"Who knows? You would know better than me. I just met him," replied Sasori.

"Oh yeah, you're right. Well, it certainly seemed like him. I guess I'll know in a few days, when they let him go," spoke Kan.

In another part of Takigakure, Tobi was walking over to a kunoichi sitting alone on a bench near a small lake. She appeared to be in deep thought.

"Hi!!" shouted Tobi.

"Oh, hello there. Who are you?" asked the kunoichi.

"Shioga," replied Tobi.

"Nice to meet you, Shioga. I haven't seen you around the village before, have you just arrived?" asked the kunoichi.

"Hai! I arrived with Akajio-senpai! He went off to a bar with two guys. He told me to take a walk around the village," replied Tobi.

"Well, it is a beautiful village. One I would give my life to protect. I suppose I have already given part of myself for this village... but never mind that. You seem the type to be able to listen. You don't mind listening a little, do you?" asked the kunoichi.

"Shioga doesn't mind," replied Tobi.

"Okay, well, Shioga, imagine this. What would you do if you had this great responsibility towards everyone you know. Friends, family, and even some people you would rather not associate with. You have to be careful of your actions, because any mistake you make could be the downfall of all those people. You can't go where you want. You always have to stay in certain places. You always have someone guarding you, whether in person, or from afar. And you're often needed to fight, like a person who has been turned into a tool. What would you do in that kind of situation?" asked the kunoichi.

"Shioga would run away. Shioga doesn't like being used by people," replied Tobi.

"Run away? Only cowards run away. So why would you?" asked the kunoichi.

"Well, Shioga could fight the people that are always watching, but some of them might be people who are important. It seems you are making Shioga look after everyone, right, so Shioga couldn't fight them. Shioga couldn't really stand up to them, either, so the best thing for Shioga to do would be to run away," replied Tobi.

"And you would just up and leave everyone that you cared about? You would be able to let yourself do that?" asked the kunoichi.

"Well... Shioga would still protect the people he liked the most. He wouldn't abandon them. Just the ones who are using him," spoke Tobi.

"I see... that wouldn't be such a bad thing, I suppose. I wouldn't mind leaving that kind of situation, but I have a level of pride in my village, and those who live in it. I couldn't just run away from it. And I couldn't choose to protect a few at the cost of others. Not to mention the time and resources lost in trying to find me if I were to run off like that. Is this something you were thinking of?" asked the kunoichi.

"Shioga would make it so that no one needed to find him. He would make his point clear, through all the peaceful means he had. He might have to use violence at some point, though, if only to teach those who put him in such a tight situation a lesson," replied Tobi.

"So, in the end, you would fight the very ones you were compelled to protect?" asked the kunoichi.

"Shioga thinks so, but he wouldn't want to. It would only be a choice of last resort. Even then, he probably wouldn't do it alone. He would ask someone to help him, in order to ease his burden," replied Tobi.

"I guess I would have to do that, too. I wouldn't want the full burden of having to fight off everyone. Still, though, if it's for the sake of those most important to me, I would rather live life as it is now, then risk doing something reckless," spoke the kunoichi.

"Maybe... if Shioga was in your place, he would choose to leave," replied Tobi.

"Maybe..." muttered the kunoichi.

"What's your name?" asked Tobi.

"You really aren't from around here, are you? Takasaki Takimi. Everyone knows who I am. You know, I'm so hard to find. I thought it was strange you didn't respond when you ran into me. This is one of the few times I've been allowed to come out from my normal hiding places. I've been placed under high surveillance since the Akatsuki started to move in the area. It's not that I couldn't defend myself, or anything, but they are all worried about what would happen if I did fall against them," replied the kunoichi.

"What about all you said about protecting everyone?" asked Tobi.

"My staying safe does protect everyone. If Akatsuki were able to get their hands on my bijuu, who knows what they would do with it. I get the feeling it's nothing pleasant. That's why it's my responsibility to stay safe. I still act as a shinobi of Takigakure no Sato, and I do have my regular duties, but this added one is rather stressful to deal with. It will be over soon, though," replied Takimi.

"What makes you think that?" asked Tobi.

"I know where the Akatsuki in this village are, and I'm prepared to deal with them," replied Takimi.

"Where are they?" asked Tobi.

"Well, it sounds like one is in a bar, while the other is in front of me. You can try to, as much as you will, but you could never fully hide your chakra, Uchiha Madara. That's what Nanabi wanted me to tell you," replied Takimi.

"Well, that takes all the fun out of it. How long did it take you to notice?" asked Madara.

"As soon as you started walking near me. It was faint, but more than enough for Nanabi to notice. I didn't mind talking to you, though. I did need someone to talk to, even if it was you. Nanabi isn't much help in such things. Well, while I'm glad we were able to have that nice little talk, I can't allow you to capture me. Guard!" shouted Takimi, as she took a fighting stance.

"You are an interesting one, I'll give you that. I was hoping to be able to sneak you off somewhere. I guess now I'll have to be more upfront about it," replied Madara.

Madara used his space time jutsu to appear next to Takimi, and then to take her to a place outside the village, away from any patrols. He pulled out a special flare he made, and shot it into the sky. It would only be seen easily by someone wearing a special eye piece.

Sasori paused from his drink to notice a small explosion in the sky. He observed that he was the only one able to see it, and took it as his cue to leave.

"Well, Kan, it seems that I am needed elsewhere. Thanks for the drink," spoke Sasori.

"No problem, Akajio-san. Later," replied Kan.

Sasori paid his share of the bar-tab, and headed out towards where he had seen the flare. He found that Tobi had already commenced his fight with Takimi.

"Sasori-senpai!!" shouted Tobi.

"Oh, is that one of your lackeys, Madara?" asked Takimi.

"Madara? Lackey? What is she going on about?" asked Sasori.

"Tobi doesn't know! She's been talking crazy while trying to kill Tobi."

"Trying? You know, you would have saved me a lot of trouble if you did end up killing him," spoke Sasori.

"That's not nice, Sasori-senpai!!" shouted Tobi, as Takimi pounded him into the ground.

"Okay, what the Hell is wrong with him? First he's a random idiot, then I find out he's really..."

Takimi was cut off by Tobi knocking her back.

"I didn't know you could be so sneaky. Popping out of the ground behind her like that, while she was under the impression you were incapacitated," spoke Sasori.

"Tobi tries when he can!"

"Okay, that's it, I've had about as much as I can stand of this. If it was one on one, it would be one thing, but even I would find it difficult to try and fight the two of you at the same time. And I didn't plan to. Mapou: Matou!" shouted Takimi. Her chakra erupted from her body in the form of a beast of seven tails. The form increased in size and form before becoming the Nanabi no Taka. The demon hawk flapped its wings to take flight, and stared down coldly at the Akatsuki pair.

"I will not allow you to capture me. I refuse to become anyone's tool!" shouted the nanabi.

"I guess it would be too much to ask for one of you to just surrender to us, wouldn't it? Fine, have it your way!" shouted Sasori, as he sent his scorpion tail after the nanabi. The winged demon was easily able to evade being hit by the attack.

"Sasori-senpai, wouldn't your poison kill her?" asked Tobi.

"I changed it out with a non-lethal poison. It will only knock her out," replied Sasori, as he launched his tail again. The nanabi continued to avoid it.

"Fine, if that won't work, then perhaps this will?" asked Sasori, as he looked up towards the nanabi. The mouth of Hiruko opened up, and began firing poisoned senbon towards the nanabi. The demon would able to avoid the senbon through a graceful display of aerial acrobatics. It was the kind of art in motion that even Sasori could appreciate.

"Beautiful... it's a shame we have to take you down..." muttered Sasori.

"What can Tobi do?"

"Unless you plan on learning how to fly within the next thirty seconds, the best thing you can do right now is stay out of the way," replied Sasori.

"Okay!!" shouted Tobi.

The nanabi opened its mouth, and fired an orb of compressed air towards Sasori, who was forced to dodge. A small crater was made where Sasori stood moments before. The nanabi continued firing orbs of air at Sasori, forcing him to continue moving. The nanabi was disregarding Tobi's presence, noting the masked-nin seemed unable to fight an opponent who took to the skies.

"Let's see how you handle this next one," spoke Sasori, as he was avoiding being hit by another attack. Sasori launched the end of his left arm opposite from the direction he was moving. The weapon opened up, and fired off another round of senbon. Sasori opened Hiruko's mouth, and fired off more senbon, making it harder for the nanabi to dodge his attacks. The nanabi ceased her attacks in order to dodge the incoming senbon. Once again, she was able to avoid taking a single hit.

"I'm impressed... impressed by your ability to move through the air as you do," spoke Sasori.

"I'm honored, but don't expect me to let up on you; flattery will get you no where," replied the nanabi. She started to charge chakra into her beak. Sasori attempted to strike, noting how the nanabi had to stay still, but he was unable to act in time.

"Raiton: Raisui no Jutsu! _(Lightning Release: Thunder Drill Technique)_" shouted the nanabi, as she fired a concentrated burst of lightning chakra towards Sasori. Sasori was forced to stop his attack, and jump out of the way in order to avoid being fried. The ground Sasori stood on before was scorched black.

"_Damn, she's fast. Nothing I'm using is able to keep up with her speed. And there's no way I can fly... she's Hiruko's natural enemy,"_ Sasori thought to himself, as he continued firing senbon, while dodging more air bullets.

"Well, it's been fun playing around with you, but now it's time for me to get serious," spoke the nanabi, as she charged more lightning chakra in her beak.

"Raiton: Raisetsudanki no Jutsu! _(Lightning Release: Thunder Cutter)_" shouted the nanabi. A fast moving stream of lightning chakra ran across the ground towards Sasori. Sasori found he was too slow to avoid being hit by the attack. Hiruko was heavily damaged, and left unable to move.

"Well, it's been fun. Raiton: Raisui!!" shouted the nanabi, as she fired a burst of lightning chakra at Sasori. An explosion was created where Sasori once stood.

"That's the best ending I could make for you. Good bye," spoke the nanabi.

"Yahoo!!" shouted Tobi, as he leaped from a nearby tree, and onto the back of the nanabi.

"What!? Get off!!" shouted the nanabi.

"Tobi will avenge Sasori-senpai!"

Tobi plunged a kunai into the back of the nanabi, forcing her to scream out.

"You little pain in the ass!! Madara, Tobi, whoever you are!! You're dead!!" shouted the nanabi, as she began spinning wildly in the air. Tobi was holding on for dear life as the nanabi kept trying to shake him.

"Whee!!" shouted Tobi.

"Still enjoying this, eh? Let's see how much you like this next part!" shouted the nanabi, as she flew up high into the sky. She went up as high as she could go, and looked back down.

"See that? That's where you're going!!" shouted the nanabi, as she did a high speed spin dive towards the ground.

"Tobi is scared!!"

"I wonder if I'll be able to stop in time. I'll be fine, but it would be an awful mess to clean off whatever is left of you," spoke the nanabi.

"Ahh!!" shouted Tobi.

The nanabi stopped seconds before her and Tobi would have been pounded into the ground.

"Still alive, or did you have a heart attack?" asked the nanabi.

"Do it again! Do it again! Tobi almost peed himself!! Tobi likes you!!" Tobi actually hugged the nanabi, as if she hadn't been trying to kill Tobi. It seemed as though he completely forgot about capturing her, or that she seemingly killed Sasori.

"Satetsu: Shigure!!" shouted Sasori, as he unleashed the ability of his Sandaime Kazekage puppet. Tobi jumped off of the nanabi as the satetsu began to surround the nanabi. The satetsu took the form of senbon, and launched itself towards the nanabi. The demon hawk tried avoiding the attack, only to find that since they were being controlled differently, these senbon didn't attack in a straight line. The nanabi was barely able to avoid being hit.

"Satetsu: Kesshuu!" shouted Sasori, as the satetsu compressed itself into two geometric forms. The two objects flew at the nanabi, forcing her to evade. She found avoiding the larger forms to be much more difficult.

"As you said, it's time to get serious, right?" spoke Sasori.

"Damn it! Well, there's one way to avoid these things! Mapou: Inre Shishitsu!" shouted the nanabi. Her form shrank to that of the size of a human, allowing her to slide past the two forms sent after her. The two objects slammed into each other and broke apart as an elegant woman with feathers for hair stood before Sasori.

"My my, you are a work of beauty," spoke Sasori.

"You're not too bad yourself. Way better than that troll you were in before," replied the nanabi, "There's only one way to settle this."

The nanabi pulled out a large feather, and channeled her chakra through it. It became as hard as steel.

"I see. A kenjutsu duel. An elegant end fitting for two artists locked in combat," replied Sasori, as he gathered some satetsu, and formed it into a katana. Once his weapon was formed, Sasori sealed his Sandaime Kazekage puppet.

"Shouldn't that have fallen apart?" asked the nanabi.

"Oh, so you know a little of my abilities and how they work, do you?" asked Sasori.

"I've heard a little about the puppet master of Suna. Didn't think I would be fighting you," replied the nanabi.

"As long as I channel chakra through it, it will hold its form," replied Sasori.

"I see. I take it your companion, whoever he is, will not interfere?" asked the nanabi.

"Tobi is a good boy! He wouldn't interfere."

"See to it that you don't. This is a fight between two artists," spoke Sasori, as he took a kenjutsu stance.

"I take it that weapon is also is treated with your poison?" asked the nanabi.

"Your knowledge of my abilities is rather impressive. It is. A single cut would end the fight for you," replied Sasori.

"While for you, all I need to do is destroy the part of you that is real. I don't know where it is, but if I had to guess, I would say it would be your heart, right?" asked the nanabi.

"For the sake of making this a fair battle, yes, my heart is the only remaining real part of my body. Hitting it would be your only option for defeating me. Seeing as you know this much about me, I'm sure you must have an understanding for how I hate waiting," replied Sasori.

"I'm learning your personality as I go. I have to admit, I'm not one for patience either. Let's go!" shouted the nanabi, as she lunged forward. Her feather katana met Sasori's satetsu katana head on. The two stepped back, and took another swing at one another. Their weapons met at waist level. Sasori pulled back his weapon, and took a shot towards the nanabi's head. The nanabi used her speed to duck the attack, and take a swing at Sasori. The puppet-nin jumped back, receiving a cut through his cloak for his haste.

"_Hmm... it would seem she is the faster between the two of us. This may end badly if she is given too much of an opportunity. I'll have to end this soon,"_ Sasori thought to himself, as he pulled back his katana for another strike. The nanabi was ahead of Sasori, and swung her blade towards Sasori's head. Sasori was forced to duck, as he took a swing towards the nanabi. His attack missed, as the nanabi was able to get out of the way. Sasori swung his sword back towards the nanabi, only to have it blocked by the nanabi's. The demon pulled back her weapon, and took another swing towards Sasori's head. The puppet ducked again, and instead of attacking again, jumped back. The nanabi lunged forward, only to have her attack blocked. Sasori struck out towards the nanabi, only to be blocked again. The nanabi pulled back, and took another swing at Sasori's head. This time, Sasori didn't block, allowing the weapon to become lodged in his cheek. Sasori prepared the plunge his weapon into the nanabi, only to have his arm knocked away by a powerful punch from the nanabi. Sasori and the nanabi backed away from one another. The nanabi's weapon became a normal feather again, while Sasori's katana turned back into satetsu. Sasori pulled back his arm, and sealed the satetsu with his kazekage puppet. The nanabi and Sasori found themselves in a standoff again.

"I was wondering why you kept blocking shots to your head, even though nothing bad would befall you if I were to decapitate you. All in an attempt to catch me off guard. If I were in a normal duel, I would have been rather shocked to see you allow a hit to the head. Not bad, a rather unconventional way of dealing with things, but very effective. If I hadn't anticipated such a move, I would be on my way with you," replied the nanabi.

"So, you did figure it out? Clever," spoke Sasori.

"Something tells me taijutsu would be a waste, since your body is that of a puppet. I doubt it's your focus, being a type who would rather keep his distance. It would make sense you would know some kenjutsu, through the use of your puppets. So, what now?" asked the nanabi.

"It still would be appreciated if you would simply join us," replied Sasori.

"I'm sure it would... but... well... I dunno... I do feel compelled to join you, though not as a prisoner," spoke the nanabi.

"What do you mean?" asked Sasori.

"Bah, I think you know. And don't say you don't. I know that look, puppet eyes or not, those eyes of yours say you like me in ways that go beyond respect shared between opponents in honorable combat," replied the nanabi.

"That's ridiculous... I just... respect you..." muttered Sasori.

"You would be blushing if you weren't a puppet, you know. I have to admit, there is just something appealing about you. A hidden grace in your movements. It showed the most through your kenjutsu. I'm sure if you allowed that puppet of yours to wield that sword, I would be treated to a fight of elegance, more like of dance of death, rather than a gritty duel. I just find it... appealing," spoke the nanabi.

"_He's trying to kill us!! What are you doing!!" _shouted Takimi from within the nanabi.

"_Oh, come on, kid. You know he had that tensei jutsu. It'll be alright. I'm the one who gets the bad end of the deal. You know, if I'm going to be taken in by these guys, I might as well have a little fun with it. You have to admit, for someone who is supposed to be in their late thirties, he is cute," _replied the nanabi.

"_Oh... fine..."_ spoke Takimi.

"_Hey, look at it like this; you won't have to worry about being treated differently because of me. You have been wanting to find a way to get away from that, right? I've gone through such things with every member of your clan that has held me. You actually get a way out of this, so just deal with it," _replied the nanabi.

"_Alright, I'll go along with this,"_ replied Takimi.

"_Arigatou,"_ spoke the nanabi.

"This is awkward..." muttered Sasori.

"You guys win. We'll go with you. But on one condition: when your done using us bijuu for whatever it is you need us for, you allow me to stay with you guys... mainly you. I would really like to get to know you better," replied the nanabi.

"O... kay..." muttered Sasori.

"Yay!! Sasori-senpai has a girlfriend!!"

"Tobi!!" shouted Sasori.

"Seriously, how do you tolerate yourself Madara!? How!?" shouted the nanabi.

"Who's Madara?" asked Tobi.

"Cut the shit!! Fuuton: Kuukidan no Jutsu! _(Wind Release: Air Bullet Technique)_" shouted the nanabi. She fired an orb of air at Tobi, aimed straight at his mask. It cracked on contact, and fell apart.

"Geez, you got old," spoke the nanabi.

"Fucking bitch!! I didn't want him to know who I was!! Didn't you realize that!?" shouted Madara.

"Your Uchiha Madara!?" shouted Sasori.

"Grr... Hai..." muttered Madara.

"Can't get any more awkward than this..." muttered Sasori.

"You didn't want him to know? You don't tell that to everyone?" asked the nanabi.

"The last one who found out did so by mistake. Now then, drop it," replied Madara, as he pulled out a spare mask.

"By the way, you don't mention this to anyone, Sasori. The only ones who know right now are Zetsu, Pein, Konan, Itachi, Ookami, and Hinata of Konoha. That's how it stays, barring any more surprises," replied Madara.

"Kyubi won't keep her mouth shut. She'll blow your cover," replied the nanabi.

"The kyuubi is a girl?" asked Sasori.

"Yeah, a girl he used to date... until he used her to try and crush Konoha. Looks like all you got out of that was a black eye," replied the nanabi.

"Shut it!!" shouted Madara.

"Or what?" replied the nanabi.

"Katon: Kari no Jutsu! _(Fire Release: Fire Palm Technique)_" shouted Madara.

"Fuuton: Fuuri no Jutsu! _(Wind Release: Wind Palm Technique)_" shouted the nanabi.

Madara's fire was blown back at him. He was knocked back, almost losing another mask.

"My, what a temper," replied the nanabi.

"Alright, I should have known better than to do that to a wind user. I'll give you that one. Just keep your mouths shut. I did plan on letting everyone know eventually. And yes, I do know full well how much Kyubi-hime would love to let everyone in on it. Let's just leave it be for the moment," spoke Madara.

"You know, as much as I find this moment amusing, I should probably let you know that there are probably a couple squads of Taki-nin on their way here," spoke Sasori.

"Oh, right, our battle probably caught their attention as much as Takimi's disappearance. We should get going," replied the nanabi.

"Let's go," spoke Madara.

The trio made a dash for the nearest Akatsuki base, along the the border of Hi no Kuni and Taki no Kuni. Pein was there waiting for the group.

"Another live one? Care to explain?" asked Sasori.

"She's Sasori's girlfriend!!" shouted Tobi.

"Drop the act around me!!" shouted Sasori.

"You need to know to lighten up," replied Madara.

"He knows?" asked Pein.

"Miss bigmouth told him," replied Madara.

"I know to keep it a secret," spoke Sasori.

"Very well. Assemble!" shouted Pein.

The Akatsuki gathered, and extracted the nanabi. Madara and Sasori revived Takimi afterwards. Once the three awoke, Takimi took a look at the two Akatsuki she was with.

"Well... this is awkward... I guess I should just leave now?" asked Takimi.

"Good idea," replied Madara.

"Okay... uh... bye..." spoke Takimi, as she dashed off, back towards Takigakure.

"So, now what?" asked Madara.

"Well, I'll tell leader-sama the full details of the deal I made... after we get back. Until then, try not to get on my nerves," replied Sasori.

"You know, of all the members, you need to lighten up the most," spoke Madara.

"Do I, now?" asked Sasori.

"Hai. It's healthier to be a little looser. All the stress from having that stick up your ass could give you a heart attack," replied Madara.

"Fine... but don't expect any miracles. Bad enough I have to reconstruct Hiruko," spoke Sasori.

"I'll accept that. Let's go," replied Madara.

Sasori and Madara made their return to Amegakure. After their journey, Ookami and Deidara were the ones to greet the pair.

"Well, would you look at that, Tobi is still alive," spoke Ookami.

"And it looks like he's in one piece, hm. What put you in such a good mood, danna?" asked Deidara.

"He's not that bad. I got used to him," replied Sasori.

"Sasori liked Tobi!!" shouted Tobi, as he went to hug Sasori. Within five seconds, Tobi was launched out through the nearest window.

"That's the line!!" shouted Sasori.

"Wow... looked like he was saving that one up the whole trip..." muttered Ookami.

"If he did, he just broke his record for keeping his patience, hm..." muttered Deidara.

"Is Leader-sama still awake?" asked Sasori.

"Yeah, he figured you would show up about now. He asked us to keep watch for you. I think it's about time to hit it," replied Ookami.

"Hai, mustn't keep Yugito waiting," spoke Deidara.

"Yeah, you will wait for me to make my bunshin," replied Ookami.

"What about that every other night deal we discussed?" asked Deidara.

"You blew that the last time I left you alone with her! I got such an earful about why I shouldn't have suggested the idea of doing it only every other night. Until she calms down again, deal with it," replied Deidara.

"I thought I would try, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Uh... you two give me a headache..." muttered Sasori.

"Probably leftovers from dealing Tobi. It'll go away after a while, just wait, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Sure... I'm going to talk to Leader-sama now," replied Sasori.

Sasori made his way for Pein's office. He checked to make sure there wasn't a white sock on the door, and put his ear up to the door just to be absolutely sure. He politely knocked, and was allowed in.

"So, Sasori, you have something to discuss with me?" asked Pein.

"Hai. The nanabi wished to join with us after we have set our plans in motion," replied Sasori.

"You mean Takasaki Takimi?"

"No, the nanabi herself. The actual demon wishes to join."

"I take it she allowed you to take her for sealing if you agreed to allow her to join?"

"That is correct."

"It's not like you to make a decision like that without consulting me first."

"I had a... different motivation in making this decision."

"Oh?"

"While fighting, her graceful movements... captivated me. And her beauty, and..."

"Ah, that. Finding love on the field of battle is rare these days, but it does happen. In battle, people speak purely through action. There are no lies in combat, and both love and hate are spoken in combat. If two people who find interest in one another fight, it's not impossible for these feelings to be communicated. You shouldn't be ashamed. You've just fallen prey to the same feelings many before you have fallen to. Just don't allow them to cloud your judgment in issues of higher importance."

"I would never take an action against the goals of Akatsuki."

"I know you wouldn't, Sasori. But things change, and I felt compelled to remind you."

Sasori nodded in response to Pein's words.

"As for your agreement, I have no problem with your decision to honor it. She will have to room with you, but something tells me this won't be as much an issue as allowing Nii Yugito to room with Deidara."

"Arigatou, Leader-sama."

"Goodnight, Sasori."

Pein and Sasori marched off to their respective rooms. Konan was eagerly awaiting Pein, who promptly put up his barrier, and swapped out with his real body.

"So, what did Sasori want?" asked Konan.

"Seems he found love on the battlefield," replied Nagato.

"Oh?"

"Well, more like a crush, but in a more mature way. That would be the best way to put it."

"That makes sense. So, is she here?"

"No, it wasn't the jinchuuriki, it was her demon."

"What!?"

"It's not that unrealistic. Supposedly, the bijuu has a very long lifespan, and Sasori's body gives him something close to immortality, so it's not like it couldn't work in that sense. As for everything else, I'm sure they'll figure it out. But that's a ways off. Nothing will happen until our plans have been accomplished."

"Of course. Sasori knows what's more important. He knows the mission comes first. I suppose it's luck that he ended up in this situation. If he had been assigned the rokubi as he had been initially, this wouldn't have happened."

"I suppose it is an interesting irony. It also works out we've been capturing the beasts in order. He won't have to wait as long as he could have. He is awfully impatient, after all."

"That he is. I'm sure he'll probably gripe about the wait with someone, too."

"As long as it isn't one of us, he can gripe all he wants."

"Yeah. Goodnight Nagato."

"Goodnight Konan."

Nagato and Konan turned out the lights in their room, and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

_A/N: Time to play the name game again! Takasaki can be spelled as __鷹__, which means hawk. Fitting for a clan devoted to hosting the demon hawk. Takimi can be spelled as __滝美__, where __滝 __means waterfall, and __美 __means beauty. The waterfall being related to her status as a shinobi of Takigakure, while the kanji for beauty is a suffix often added to female names. Akajio can be spelled as __赤__, which means red, fitting for one know as Sasori of the Red Sand. Shioga can be spelled as __渦__, which means whirlpool or swirl. Given Tobi/Madara's mask, the name suits them. Sakana can be spelled as __魚__, which means fish. The connection being since he is part of a village named from water. Kan can be spelled as __環__, which means wheel. This is a reference to how he rolls with everything, and doesn't get as emotional as his partner, Sakana. That's all for now, thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!_


	13. Assault

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, if I did, it would be called Akatsuki (not to be confused with another manga by the same name)_

**Chapter 13: Assault**

"Wah!!" shouted Tobi.

"_Oh joy, sounds like the beginning of another perfect day..." _Ookami thought to himself.

"Tobi hates his life!"

"_Uh... what could possibly make him upset at this time in the morning?"_ Deidara thought to himself.

"Wah!!" shouted Tobi again.

"_This had better be good,"_ Sasori thought to himself.

Tobi continued to shout and cry loudly, waking the rest of the Akatsuki. One by one, they decided to check up on the masked-nin to see what could be bothering him at _six in the morning._

"Tobi, I was sleeping rather peacefully, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Something really bad happened to Tobi!"

"What could be so bad that you had to wake us up at six in the morning!?" shouted Sasori.

"Kuro-chan broke up with Tobi!"

"Eh?" replied Ookami.

"Kuro-chan dumped Tobi!"

"I tried to make a point that she was a slut, but no, don't listen to me," replied Ookami.

"You should have listened to him; he does seem to know a lot about women... maybe too much,"spoke Yugito.

"It comes from having had one stuck in my head for most of my life,"replied Ookami.

"You have a point there," spoke Kisame.

"Ironically, she told me the same thing when I started to date Kuro, and I didn't listen to her then, either. Oh well, we learn the hard way," spoke Ookami.

"So, you have something in common with Tobi, hm?" asked Deidara.

"In that I don't listen when someone tells me not to date someone? Okay, I'll give you that. But I've made sure to consult with Rokubi on all my choices in women since then," replied Ookami.

"And how many of those decisions have you had to make?" asked Itachi, out of curiosity.

"Just one with Hinata. I figured it was her or no one," replied Ookami.

"Why did you bother to date Kuro in the first place?" asked Pein.

"Yeah, you had a picture of Hinata and everything, so why did you bother with the slut?" asked Deidara.

"Well, I ran into her while I was looking into information about Amegakure. She was there, and I felt the need to be with someone, and she was someone I could get along with, and... well, there you go," replied Ookami.

"So, basically, you let your little head do all the thinking?" asked Konan.

"Grr... yeah, I guess that would be one way to put it," replied Ookami.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, really. It happens to all of us... and continues to happen to some of us," replied Kisame, while looking at Itachi.

"I have to revive my clan somehow, you know. Beggars can't be choosers," replied Itachi.

"You could choose to have anyone you want, while me on the other hand... well, I have my Nana-chan," spoke Kisame.

"I just use the tools given to me in aid of the resurrection of my clan," replied Itachi.

"Hey guys, we're forgetting about someone here," spoke Mikoto.

"Huh?" muttered most of the group. Mikoto pointed to a still crying Tobi. Tears appeared to be flowing out of the hole in his mask.

"Oh, yeah, uh... yeah, this is what happens when you date sluts. You should really research a girl before dating her, you know," spoke Ookami.

"I'll agree to that. I've known Konan for most of my life. I knew she was the one for me. Even if we both dated others when we were younger, we knew, in the end, we would have each other," spoke Pein.

"Well, that, and in the end we would end up killing or nearly killing the person the other was dating when something went wrong," spoke Konan.

"That was always fun," replied Pein.

"I don't suppose you've known anyone for any duration of time, have you?" asked Kisame.

"Hmm... no, Tobi hasn't really known any girls for a long time."

"_He knew one, though I doubt the kyuubi would ever consider being anywhere near him again after what happened,"_ thought Sasori.

"Well, cheer up, there are plenty of women out there, you know, and I bet at least one is crazy enough to give you a chance," spoke Ookami.

"You really think so?" asked Tobi.

"Well, there was already one, which is one more than I would have thought to existed, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Yeah. You're on your own for finding the next one, though. I'm out of exes for you to date," spoke Ookami.

"Okay, Tobi will look for another girl."

"That's a good boy, now, no more crying," spoke Zetsu's white side.

"Crying will get you no where," spoke Zetsu's black side.

"Tobi will stop crying now. Tobi's sorry for waking up everyone."

"Good, I'm heading back to bed. I hate getting up this early when I don't have to, later," spoke Ookami.

I'm with him, later," replied Deidara.

"I guess we all could use a little more sleep," spoke Pein.

"Yeah, this is too fucking early, seriously," spoke Hidan.

The members of Akatsuki returned to their rooms to finish getting their sleep. Tobi laid back on his bed, and looked up at his ceiling.

"_Damn, maybe controlling Kyubi-hime, and using her to attack Konoha was a bad idea. I should have just asked her. I could have convinced her to do it eventually, I'm sure. Oh well... maybe she'll be willing to give me a second chance after we're done using her for our goals... I'll blame Pein. If it's his fault, then maybe she won't get mad at me. Why the Hell did I have to piss her off? She is one hell of a woman. And the most powerful of the bijuu to boot. What the Hell was I thinking when I took control of her as I did. Oh well... that's the way of the world, I guess,"_ Madara thought to himself.

The rest of the early morning was fairly peaceful. Most of the Akatsuki members easily resumed their sleep again. Ookami did so with a grin on his face, knowing that he would never have to put up with Kuro again. Deidara had a little trouble getting himself back to sleep. Trouble in the form of a blond woman.

"Do I have to wake up Ookami's bunshin?" asked Yugito.

"What? I didn't do anything wrong, hm," replied Deidara.

"I told you about staying on your side of the bed," spoke Yugito.

"I can't help that his bunshin rolled over while we were tending to Tobi and took my space on the bed. What do you want me to do, sleep on the floor, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Not a bad idea, actually," replied Yugito.

"I'm not sleeping on the floor in my own room," spoke Deidara.

"You think I'm going to sleep on the floor? You should learn to treat a lady with a little more respect," replied Yugito.

"Look, if you just let me sleep next to you, it won't be a problem. Besides, if I do anything, Ookami's bunshin is right here, hm. So, do we have an agreement?" asked Deidara.

"Okay, fine, but you forfeit the right to ownership of any body part that touches me in a way I deem perverse," replied Yugito.

"Fair enough," replied Deidara.

"Uh..." grumbled Ookami's bunshin.

"Geez, he sleeps like a log... just like the real one, I'm sure," spoke Yugito.

"Oh... Hinata-chan... it's okay..." muttered Ookami's bunshin.

"Aww... sounds like he's having a touching dream with his Hinata," spoke Yugito.

"Yeah... that's nice..." muttered Deidara.

"No one will hold it against you..." muttered Ookami's bunshin.

"She must have shared something special with him," spoke Yugito.

"_Aww... give me a break," _Deidara thought to himself.

"Oh... yes! Yeah... that's it... yeah... you can be so naughty when you want to..." spoke Ookami's bunshin.

"Yep, she gave him something special alright... her virginity!" shouted Deidara.

"Damn it!" shouted Yugito, as she slammed her fist into Ookami's skull. The bunshin had a look of shock and surprise, right before it became clay, with a rather large dent in its forehead.

"Damn!" shouted Deidara.

"Do anything I don't like, and that becomes you!" shouted Yugito.

"Hai," spoke Deidara, as he pushed the clay form of Ookami off the bed, and made sure to keep a good gap between himself and Yugito.

"What the!?" shouted Ookami, suddenly waking from noticing his bunshin being destroyed.

"Damn... my bunshin was having a good dream. He he... I wonder what happened to it? Must have been talking in my sleep, or something... I'll ask those two about it later..." muttered Ookami, as he drifted off into sleep again.

The rest of the early morning was eventful. As ten approached, the members of Akatsuki began to wake. Mikoto started breakfast upon waking up. She had some pancakes going, along with some sausage links. The scent of food cooking up woke up several of the members who were still asleep. Tobi and Ookami were the last to finally drag themselves out of bed.

"Oh wow, looks like a good meal!" shouted Tobi.

"And it was all on a budget," spoke Kakuzu.

"This stuff was all on sale?" asked Ookami.

"Marked down, since it was close to the sell by date," replied Kakuzu.

"Can't complain about that," spoke Ookami, while looking at Hidan, waiting to see if he was going to say anything about Kakuzu being cheap. A few of the others did as well.

"What are you fucking staring at? I don't complain every time he brings up money. Every once in a while, I do agree with his financial decisions, you know," replied Hidan.

"_Yeah, sure you don't complain,"_ thought Ookami.

"_Hidan not complaining about Kakuzu bringing up money, there must be something wrong with him... or he got laid," _Deidara thought to himself.

"_Years of conditioning are finally starting to pay off,"_ Pein thought to himself.

"_About damn time he stopped complaining about Kakuzu being cheap," _Kisame thought to himself.

"_He didn't say anything... what's wrong with him," _Kakuzu thought to himself.

"Alright guys, the pancakes are ready, help yourselves," spoke Mikoto, as she set down several plates with pancakes stacked high.

"Itadakimasu," spoke everyone, except Hidan, who managed a grunt, before beginning their breakfast.

"Hey Tobi, you feel better now that you've had a few hours of sleep," asked Kisame.

"Tobi feels a little better, though, it would be best if Tobi didn't think about it for a little while."

"That makes sense. Just be your goof ball little self, and everything will work out just fine," replied Kisame.

"Tobi can do that!"

"Kisame... what the Hell are you doing?" asked Hidan.

"What? I'd rather have him happy and energetic than moping around all day. Besides, he does brighten up our gloomy little organization, right?" asked Kisame.

"Our parties do that, you know. We're not that dim," spoke Ookami.

"He's right, I do well to keep life as interesting as possible while we march on towards our goal," replied Pein.

"I know all that, but Tobi is a good part of all that, too. Besides, do you guys really want to wake up every morning to him bawling like a little baby?" asked Kisame.

"What's the difference? When he was with Kuro, he was just as loud, you know," spoke Ookami.

"Your room is right by his, you should be used to it by now," spoke Kisame.

"I suppose, but I'm not. I should just use sound barriers, but there are nights when I get too tired to remember to put one up. Of course, in the end, I really shouldn't have to put one up to begin with," replied Ookami.

"I never have to use a sound barrier, and I share a wall with him," spoke Zetsu.

"Well... your special, you could probably sleep through a typhoon," replied Ookami.

"Hmm... yeah, probably," spoke Zetsu.

"Tobi is sorry for waking up Ookami all the time. Tobi will try not to anymore."

"It's okay, Tobi. For all the trouble it is to put up with it sometimes, Kisame does have a good point. You do have this gift of being able to brighten up the mood," replied Ookami. _"While simultaneously giving us all headaches. Seriously, Madara-sama, how the Hell do you stand yourself!?"_

"So, we're down to two bijuu, right?" asked Deidara.

"Yeah, and we have Uzumaki by the deal we made with him. The only one we really have to try for is the hachibi. What do we know about the hachibi jinchuuriki?" asked Ookami.

"Kirabi? Oh yeah, that's right, you guys would want him, too," replied Yugito.

"Oh yeah, he's a Kumo-nin. I don't suppose you could convince him to just up and join us, could you, hm?" asked Deidara.

"I dunno, he's pretty hard headed. And he's tough as nails. I would hate to get on his bad side," replied Yugito.

"What else do you know about him?" asked Deidara.

"Well, he's a master of raiton jutsu. Not surprising, since he's the Raikage's otouto. And he's a kenjutsu specialist. The thing you have to watch out for the most when dealing with him is his bijuu. He has full control over the power the hachibi provides him with," replied Yugito.

"He's related to a kage?" asked Pein, "This complicates things. His capture would stir up the shinobi world if it were not conducted carefully."

"It does have far reaching implications. Even if we revive him, taking the power of the hachibi would get the attention of the Raikage. He would miss the hachibi's power far more than the power nibi bestowed upon me, " replied Yugito.

"Kakuzu, you were originally assigned the hachibi, but, given the delicacy of this situation, it may be wise to assign someone else the task," spoke Pein.

"Fine by me," replied Kakuzu.

Just then, a messenger bird pecked at the balcony window, asking for entry. Pein took note of it, and opened the door to allow the bird in. He knew the message was for him, and opened it immediately.

"I wonder what this could be about..." muttered Pein, as he read the message. His face turned from one of dull amusement to one of seriousness.

"Breakfast is finished, prepare our defenses, it seems a shinobi force in on their way to the village. I'll begin preparing the village," spoke Pein.

"A shinobi force? From where?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, who's got the balls to charge in after us?" asked Hidan.

"A force out of Kiri," replied Pein.

"Kiri!?" shouted Ookami and Kisame.

"Who the Hell would dare lead an attack against us?" asked Kisame.

"I can't imagine. I would bet they would assemble all of the Seven, whoever is a part of them at the moment. Not that _we_ have much to fear from them. They must have something else up their sleeve to consider coming here," replied Ookami.

"Would the Mizukage ask for this?" asked Kisame.

"I doubt it. He's stupid, but not this stupid. It has to be someone on the council," replied Ookami.

"How did they know we were here to begin with. I thought you killed the group out of Kiri that was attempting negotiations with Suna several months ago," asked Pein.

"I was pretty sure of that myself. There must have been someone else. I made sure to spare no one," replied Ookami.

"Well, whatever the case, they're on their way. Get yourselves ready," spoke Pein, as he walked to his office.

"Well, you heard him, let's get this party ready, hm!" shouted Deidara. The other members of Akatsuki nodded. Konan joined Pein in his office, while the others gathered their battle supplies.

Konan, I'm going to stop my rain long for you to send message to all my commanders. Get them ready for battle. Have the genin evacuate all civilians to the tunnels, and gather our jonin at the main gate. I don't want them stepping one foot in the village," spoke Pein.

"I understand. I'll send word," replied Konan.

Pein opened the door to the small balcony outside of his office. He ceased his rain, and allowed Konan to take flight, alerting the village of the incoming force. Within a half hour, Konan returned, and Pein resumed his rain, taking note of anything that may be disturbing it.

"They're still outside my range, or they have found some way to avoid detection. I take it everyone has been informed?" asked Pein.

"Hai, preparations are underway," replied Konan.

"Good, I have my bodies ready. The opposing force won't get a chance to make it this far," spoke Pein.

Preparations continued throughout all of Amegakure. Shisui caught up with another former shinobi of Konoha, and joined him in their preparations throughout the village.

"Aoi, how are things in the eastern block?" asked Shisui.

"Preparations are set there," replied Aoi, "What of the western block?"

"The last of the civilians and genin are entering the tunnels now. They should be finished their preparations within the next few minutes. They don't need me to keep an eye on them," replied Shisui.

A third man joined the group, a man with his hitai-ate sewn onto a bandanna. The man had light hair and a dark goatee.

"Yudachi! How are things in the southern block?" asked Aoi.

"Southern block is in the final stages of their preparations. Most of the chunin, including myself, are going to join you guys at the eastern gate to meet the force entering the village," replied Yudachi.

"Very well, but try to stay back. Most of the force advancing on the village will be jonin level or higher," replied Shisui.

"I know. Their target is likely Pein-sama. Still, I'm not about to hang around and do nothing," spoke Yudachi.

"I don't blame you. Are the guards stationed throughout the village set?" asked Aoi.

"They are in position, looking out for any sign of attack from other approaches to the village," replied Yudachi.

"Good. Keep any eye out for Pein-sama's signal," spoke Aoi.

In the Akatsuki base, everyone was at the ready, waiting for sign of the force out of Kiri. Pein kept in tune with his rain, waiting for the force to breech his field. Pein kept his eyes closed, focusing carefully on his barrier. Upon feeling something hit it, his eyes snapped open.

"They're here, approaching the east gate. The group is all jonin. Many relatively powerful. There is a second force approaching the north gate. They are a small group of elite shinobi, a couple near our level," spoke Pein.

"That must the group aimed at taking us out," spoke Itachi.

"No, it isn't. It's another distraction. There is small group of S-class shinobi approaching the west gate," replied Pein, "They are the strongest of the group approaching the village."

"Do you sense the Mizukage with them?" asked Kisame.

"No, I do not," replied Pein.

"How many are in the group?" asked Ookami.

"Five," replied Pein.

"Hmm... there would have been four left after I killed Mizuarai, which means they must have replaced him... that group is likely composed of the high council. They are stronger than the current Seven Swordsmen. If they're here, this means this mission was issued by the council, not the Mizukage," spoke Ookami.

"The council is stronger than the Seven? My my, how things have changed," replied Kisame.

"I hate to bring this up, but is Nana with them?" asked Ookami.

"She is not," replied Pein.

"That's a relief. I would hate to have to fight her," spoke Kisame.

"You would? She almost _killed_ me! Remember?" asked Ookami.

"Oh yeah, that's right," replied Kisame.

"Well, how are we going to do this?" asked Ookami.

"The villagers can take care of the main force. They won't be a problem. Konan and I can take care of the secondary force on our own. You guys can take care of the final group," replied Pein.

"Sounds like fun... poor saps have no idea what's about to befall them," spoke Ookami.

"Little pigs are about to learn about pain!" shouted Hidan.

"It's been a while since the last time I got a new heart; I have to keep them fresh," replied Kakuzu.

"Perhaps this group will be a challenge, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Maybe," spoke Itachi.

"You all have your assignments, now go!" shouted Pein.

The members of Akatsuki split off from their base, and made their way for their targets. Pein and Konan arrived at the north gate to face a group of ten elite Kiri-nin.

"So, he was right about the Akatsuki being here. You guys coming to use makes it easy," spoke one of the Kiri-nin.

"There are ten of you here. I take it this means you are not the Seven, correct?" asked Deva Path Pein.

"The Seven are controlled by the Mizukage. We act under the council, as the Kiri no Ansatsusha Juunin Shuu _(Ten Assassins of the Mist)_. A group personally established to wipe you out," replied one of the Kiri-nin.

"Seems that there are only seven of you here. Send the other three elsewhere?" asked another of the group.

"Hold on, don't those six look kind of similar? All those piercings and what not? Maybe this is only two of them. They do all bear some kind of unique jutsu," replied another of the group.

"Tell me, where is this council you work under?" asked Deva Path Pein.

"They are safely in Kiri, awaiting the results of our mission. You've helped us out in coming here. We though we were going to have to pick you out of the crowd taking on the main force," replied a fourth person of the group.

"It would seem you have no clue as to what your true purpose is," spoke Deva Path Pein.

"Oh? Enlighten us, freak show," spoke a fifth member. The member received his answer in the form of a blade going through his throat, compliments of Asura Path Pein.

"What the!?" shouted a sixth member. Her and another kunoichi in the group jumped away from their fallen comrade, and charged after Konan, while the others engaged Pein.

"You fight under the impression you were meant to defeat us. You were only meant to be a distraction. It seems you council has decided to take things in its own hands, showing up to take the task you believe yourselves to have," spoke Konan.

The two kunoichi attacking Konan drew a pair of katana, and attempted to strike at Konan. They seemed a bit stunned when their weapons went through Konan's form, but began to form a smile as their weapons began to glow with chakra.

"Kenjutsu: Nigentekijin Suiga! _(Sword Art: Dual Blade Water Fang)_" shouted the kunoichi. Two tendrils of water chakra emerged. They ensnared Konan, covering her entire body in water. The two kunoichi noted how this made Konan become more solid.

"So, what we heard was true, there was a member who uses Origami no Jutsu. A rather rare art, but it has a serious weakness to water and fire. Too bad for you," spoke one of the kunoichi. Both smiled as they raised their blades and cut Konan in half. Konan, being unable to turn into paper, took the hit. A tearing noise could be hear as the blades turned Konan into thirds. The two kunoichi prepared to help the group fighting Pein, only to see the Konan before them turn into soaked sheets of paper.

"What the!?" shouted both kunoichi.

"Ninpou: Shisenbon Kikanjuu! _(Ninja Art: Paper Senbon Machine Gun)_" shouted Konan. Konan's hands disappeared, while her forearms became sheets of paper. Senbon rapidly fired out of the ends of Konan's arms. The two Kiri-nin didn't have time to react as their bodies were pumped full of senbon. The two kunoichi dropped their katana in shock. By the time Konan was finished, both could pass for porcupines.

"How?" muttered one of the kunoichi.

"Speed; I have it, you don't," replied Konan. Blood spurted out of the mouths of the kunoichi as they fell to the ground. Konan walked in the directions of Pein's battle to see how he was doing.

"Shinra Tensei!" shouted Deva Path Pein, using a focused gravity wave on a kunai thrown in his direction. The kunai was sent back to the man who had thrown it, going into the man's right eye and out the back of his head. The man fell to the ground in a pool of blood.

"Pointless," muttered Deva Path Pein.

Three members of the group decided to target Asura Path Pein, believing him to be the most battle oriented of the group. The perpetually smiling man pulled off the end of his right arm, and launched a series of projectiles at the group. Two of the shinobi were impaled by the projectiles. The other was able to avoid being hit by rolling out of the way. The man threw a series of explosive tags at Asura Path in the hope of disabling it. A series of explosions went off in the area Asura Path Pein occupied. The remaining shinobi looked on, waiting to see what was left of his target. His response came in the form of a serrated blade going through his body. The man looked down to see his blood and organs being ripped out of his body.

"No way..." muttered the shinobi. The man died while still impaled on the blade. Asura Path Pein recoiled his blade, and looked to see how the other Peins were doing.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" shouted a shinobi attacking Human Path Pein. A water dragon emerged from nearby pond, rushing towards Pein. Preta Path Pein appeared, and absorbed the jutsu, grinning at the look of surprise on the shinobi's face.

"You are fighting an enemy you don't understand, an enemy that over powers you in all categories. An opponent you could never hope to overcome. Your overconfidence in your abilities has led to your own defeat," spoke Human Path Pein.

The Kiri-nin attempted to engaged Preta Path Pein in a kenjutsu duel. To the shinobi's surprise, Preta Path Pein moved out of the way to avoid being hit, allowing the shinobi a free shot at Human Path Pein. Human Path Pein pulled out a chakra absorbing staff, and blocked the Kiri-nin's initial strike. Human Path Pein struck back, knocking back the Kiri-nin's katana, and landing a blow on the nin. The Kiri-nin thought he had nothing to fear from the blunt weapon, but was surprised when he felt that part of his chakra had been absorbed. The Kiri-nin resumed his assault, hoping to catch Human Path Pein off guard. The Kiri-nin felt he had found a blind spot in the Human Path's style of kenjutsu, and attempted to exploit it. Much to his surprise, the Kiri-nin found his katana being knocked away. Human Path Pein knocked the Kiri-nin down onto his knees, and placed his hand upon his head.

"How!? There's no way you could have seen my attack from that angle," spoke the Kiri-nin.

Human Path Pein responded by pointing towards Preta Path Pein. The Kiri-nin noticed Preta Path Pein was observing the duel.

"Shared fields of vision!?" asked the Kiri-nin. His answer came in the form of his soul being ripped from his body. Human Path Pein took in all the man knew of the mission the Kiri no Ansatsusha Juunin Shuu were given.

"So, the council came into conflict with the Mizukage on what to do about us? And this man Ookami claimed to kill, Mizuarai, is still alive?" spoke Animal Path Pein, as he faced the remaining two members of the Kiri no Ansatsusha Juunin Shuu.

"What!? How did you find that out?" asked one of the Kiri-nin.

"There's no way one of the others would tell you, regardless of what methods you used," spoke the other.

"Are you so sure? I'm a master of interrogation who always gets the information he wants out of those he seeks information from," replied Animal Path Pein.

"Why you! Get him!" shouted one of the Kiri-nin. The two charged at Animal Path Pein, hoping to put their two to one advantage to use. Animal Path Pein made a quick series of a hand seals, and slammed his hand into the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" shouted Animal Path Pein. A dog appeared with Pein's Rinnegan and several piercings. The two Kiri-nin attempted to bisect the dog, clearing the path to Animal Path Pein. Animal Path Pein responded by pulling out two staffs, and knocking the two Kiri-nin back. The two Kiri-nin attempted to engage Animal Path Pein again, only to see him form a slight grin. The two Kiri-nin were puzzled until they noticed there were now two dogs behind them.

"Shinu," spoke Animal Path Pein. The two men attempted to split the dog again, only to be faced with four dogs. The two screamed out as the dogs ripped them apart, leaving nothing behind but bloody pieces of torn flesh.

The other members of Akatsuki confronted the council members approaching from the west. The group of five looked onto the approaching Akatsuki members, noting there were ten of them.

"Ten?" asked one of the council members.

"No, that one with the mask isn't a full member. Neither is the blond kunoichi. That would make it eight full members, and two pests," spoke a second council member.

Yugito grunted at the comment, while Tobi just stood there.

"So they only sent two to deal with the Ansatsusha Juunin Shuu? That's not what you told us would happen," spoke a third council member.

"Yes, Mizuarai, you told us, at best, we would have to go one on one," spoke a fourth.

"Don't worry about it, they aren't as strong as the rumors would portray them," replied Mizuarai. Mizuarai was wearing a hooded cape, hiding his face. The two groups met just past the western gates.

"Well, well, it seems we meet again, Ookami," spoke Mizuarai.

"That voice... but how?! I blew you to bits!" shouted Ookami.

"My speed saved me. I escaped seconds before the blast overcame my body. I didn't escape without injury, if that's worth anything to you," replied Mizuarai, as he pulled down his hood. His face was heavily scarred on his right side.

"I was unable to talk, eat, or sleep for several weeks after that incident. I hope to bring a similar fate upon you, Ookami," replied Mizuarai.

"Maybe, but it's ten to five. The odds aren't exactly in your favor," spoke Ookami, as he stepped forward.

"You should just leave, and save us the trouble," spoke Itachi.

"Fuck no! I came here looking for sacrifices. I'll be damned if I came out here to not kill someone!" shouted Hidan.

"I hate wasting my time, one way or the other," spoke Sasori, while in Hiruko, "While I wouldn't waste my time on a battle like this, I would hate to come out here and do nothing."

"See, even the impatient one agrees with me," replied Hidan.

"My sword is hungry. Let's kill 'em," spoke Kisame.

"Very well," replied Itachi.

"Mizuarai is mine!" shouted Ookami, as he dashed forward, knocking back the other council members. Mizuarai pulled out a katana to block Ookami's.

"Now!" shouted Mizuarai.

The council members separated, and placed themselves in a square formation around the other Akatsuki members.

"Kirigakure Hijutsu: Shishouten Sekimu Shouheki! _(Hidden Mist Secret Technique: Four Point Red Mist Barrier)_" shouted the four council members. Mist appeared out of the air, and surrounded the other Akatsuki members. The mist became red as it was infused with the chakra of the council members. Sasori used Hiruko's tail to test the strength of the barrier. The puppet weapon bounced off.

"Sturdy enough," spoke Kisame.

The barrier responded by sending a tendril of chakra at Sasori. The puppet-nin was able to avoid the attack.

"I wouldn't keep testing the barrier like that, or you'll end up killing yourselves. On second thought, go ahead, it would save us the trouble," spoke one of the council members.

"I'll take care of this pest. Wait for me before taking care of them," spoke Mizuarai.

"Very well, we'll wait," replied one of the council members.

"So, going for one on one, are you?" asked Ookami.

"Something like that. I won't lose to you this time," replied Mizuarai.

"Hey, Ookami, you better beat this guy, hm!" shouted Deidara.

"Lose, and we'll kick you out," spoke Itachi.

"And, should you lose, if he doesn't kill you, I will!" shouted Hidan.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence... muttered Ookami.

"Time to die!" shouted Mizuarai, as he charged at Ookami with his katana. Ookami pulled up his katana, and followed suit. The two engaged in a kenjutsu duel. Seeing as kenjutsu wasn't the best art of either of the two, they were able to fight on level ground for the most part. Ookami had a slight advantage in the fire surrounding his katana giving his weapon more reach. Mizuarai had to step back to avoid being hit by the flames of Ookami's katana.

"That weapon of yours is rather annoying, Ookami," muttered Mizuarai, as he dodged a slash that would have cut through his neck.

"It is what it is; it's not like you don't know how it works. Kiri so poor you can't get one of your own?" asked Ookami, as he blocked a strike aimed at his midsection and pulled back to take a swing towards Mizuarai's chest.

"This is true. I also know the one weakness your weapon has," spoke Mizuarai, as he started to channel chakra into his katana. The kenjutsu duel continued on for another few minutes. Ookami started to be driven back by Mizuarai. As the fight continued, the fire chakra around Ookami's katana started to dwindle.

"What is going on?" muttered Ookami.

"He he... I told you... I know your weapon's weakness!" shouted Mizuarai, as he slammed his katana into Ookami's katana. Ookami's katana shattered as a result.

"What the!?" shouted Ookami. He responded by using the water he already absorbed into his hands to activate his kaken taijutsu. Ookami was able to use it to block Mizuarai's katana. Ookami noticed something about the weapon Mizuarai was using, and stepped back.

"I see... a chakra absorbing katana, the only weapon capable of breaking my katana," spoke Ookami.

"Now you see? I know you better than you know yourself, and prepared as such. You won't be able to defeat me as easily as you did before!" shouted Mizuarai.

"I see. Well, I guess I should get serious, then," spoke Ookami, as he started making hand seals.

"Fuuton: Daifuu no Jutsu!" shouted Ookami. Ookami opened his mouth, and shot out a blast of wind strong enough to send Mizuarai back several meters.

"I'll take care of him, you guys take care of these freaks!" shouted Ookami, as he dashed off after Mizuarai.

"So, you think we'll be seeing Ookami again?" asked Tobi.

"He can take care of someone like that, hm," replied Deidara.

"Who wants to bet on his surviving?" asked Kakuzu.

"Are you serious?" asked Deidara.

"What?" asked Kakuzu.

"You would try and start a betting pool in the middle of a battle, you worthless old fuck!?" shouted Hidan.

"Oh? Was that Hidan? Shouldn't he be busy with one of his Jashin prayers?" asked Kakuzu.

"Teme!" shouted Hidan.

"Guys, this is really not the time," spoke Yugito.

"I wouldn't waste your time, they're going to argue regardless of what you do. It's best to just give them space, hm," replied Deidara.

"Sounds like a great idea, let's give them some space... oh, wait, we're stuck inside a barrier you idiot!!" shouted Yugito.

"Stop the shouting. It's bad enough I have to put up with one argument, I'm not in the mood to deal with two," spoke Sasori.

"Shove it up your ass, puppet boy!" shouted Yugito.

"Hey Itachi, you have _the_ scroll?" asked Kisame.

"Yeah," replied Itachi.

"I think we need it," spoke Kisame.

"I agree," replied Itachi, as he pulled out the scroll Kisame was talking about.

"_A scroll? Could that be something he can use to disrupt our barrier?"_ thought the council members.

Itachi unsealed one of the items within the scroll... a six pack.

"Ah, good, I could go for an ice cold one right now," spoke Kisame, as he pulled out one of the beers. The shark-nin popped off the cap, and took a sip from the bottle.

"Just as cold as it was the day you sealed it," spoke Kisame.

"Of course, my refrigeration seals are perfect," replied Itachi, as he popped the top of another bottle.

"_They're drinking beer? At a time like this?"_ thought the council members, as they continued to observe what was taking place within the barrier.

"Can Tobi have one?"

"No!!" shouted Itachi and Kisame.

Just outside of Amegakure, Ookami had caught up to Mizuarai, and had aimed a flaming fist at Mizuarai's head. Mizuarai picked himself up in time to block the strike with his katana. Mizuarai took several swings at Ookami, attempting to split Ookami in two. Ookami had no choice but to back away. He attempted to buy time while the clay he took into his hands readied itself before chasing after Mizuarai_._

"_My clay will take a little longer, and I can't do much to him while he has that katana. I guess I can try out that jutsu. It takes a good portion of my chakra, but he won't anticipate it,"_ Ookami thought to himself, as he began making hand seals.

"More jutsu? You caught me off guard with the last one, but you won't do the same again!" shouted Mizuarai.

"Oh, I don't know about that. This one is sure to get your attention!" shouted Ookami.

"_Heh, he thinks he's so great... wait... those seals... those aren't the seals for the type of jutsu he normally uses... what is he up to?" _Mizuarai thought to himself, as he continued to observe Ookami.

"Try this one! Raiton: Gourasenrakurai! _(Lightning Release: Great Spiraling Thunder)_" shouted Ookami. A ball of lightning chakra formed in Ookami's hand roughly twice the size of of his hand. Ookami launched the ball at Mizuarai.

"Raiton no Jutsu! Shit!" shouted Mizuarai, as he attempted to block the attack with his katana. The lightning chakra surged through the weapon, and into Mizuarai's body. The attack was strong enough to break Mizuarai's katana, forcing Mizuarai back.

"How did you do that!? I though you could only use your earth and fire natured bombs, and the setsuton you got from your demon!" shouted Mizuarai.

"You know, if you think about, it's obvious. Having been born with two natures and infused with a beast possessing a kekkei genkai composed of two other natures already gave me the ability to use four elements. Is it really such a stretch for me to learn how to use the other?" asked Ookami.

"I suppose not..." muttered Mizuarai.

"Good, because the real right begins now!" shouted Ookami, as he threw out a small dragon, which turned into a much larger dragon. Ookami hopped on it quickly and took to the skies.

"You're a real pest, you know that!" shouted Mizuarai. A small grin spread across Ookami's face as his dragon began dropping bombs down upon Mizuarai. Mizuarai had no trouble avoiding them.

"You're going to have to do better than that!" shouted Mizuarai.

"Okay, I can do that!" shouted Ookami, as he threw out three more clay creatures. They took the form of small insects with large wings. Upon changing to their final size, they were about the size of a fist. The three spread out, surrounding Mizuarai, forcing the Kiri-nin to dodge more at once. Mizuarai continued running around the field, trying to avoid being hit by any of the bombs Ookami was dropping. Mizuarai had a close call with one of the insects as it exploded near his head. Mizuarai was knocked back, only to have the other two bombs rush him. Mizuarai rolled out of the way at the last second. His clothes were singed, but he was fine otherwise.

"Hah! If these are the limits of your abilities, then I've got this in the bag!" shouted Mizuarai.

"No, I'm afraid you've just lost," replied Ookami, while holding his place in the air.

"What are you talking about? I can dodge anything you can throw at me. It's only a matter of time before I use one of my long range attacks to strike back, you know," spoke Mizuarai.

"Heh... you know, you were so busy focusing on those insects a few moments ago that you missed something important," replied Ookami.

"Oh? And that would be?" asked Mizuarai.

"That not all of those bombs I dropped exploded!" shouted Ookami.

A look of shock spread across Mizuarai's face as he realized the implications of what Ookami had said. He was too late to do anything, as several clay wolves jumped at Mizuarai, and exploded.

"He he... too easy. I hope the bastard is dead this time," muttered Ookami, as he started to head back to where the others were.

"Suiton: Jyuuatsu Dansaijin no Jutsu! _(Water Release: Pressure Cutting Blades Technique)_" shouted Mizuarai. A concentrated stream of water appeared, and cut through one of the wings of the dragon Ookami was on, along with one of his arms.

"Shit!" shouted Ookami, as he and his dragon fell to the ground. Mizuarai rushed over to where Ookami had fallen, and pulled out a second katana.

"How!? That last one should have killed you!" shouted Ookami.

"Oh please, you should know by now I take note of everything. I noticed those little mines you dropped not detonating. I figured you would try to pull something like that, so I hid myself in the ground, and left a bunshin to take the heat. Too bad for you," spoke Mizuarai, as he aimed to hit Ookami in his heart. Ookami rolled out of the way, receiving a cut to his side. Ookami stood up, and ripped his cloak and shirt off. Mizuarai responded by delivering a slash across Ookami's midsection. Ookami held himself where his injuries were, trying to hold back the blood.

"Looks like I win, Ookami," spoke Mizuarai.

"No... we both lose..." muttered Ookami, as he released the seal covering the mouth on his chest.

"What the Hell is that!?" shouted Mizuarai.

"My final jutsu. I had planned on saving this one just for you. I was almost glad to see you lived, so I could finally show you... the greatest art I've ever conceived," spoke Ookami, as he poured clay into his chest mouth.

"You think I'll let you use whatever creation you plan on making?" asked Mizuarai, as he pointed his katana towards Ookami again.

"I don't think you understand," spoke Ookami, as black markings ripped across his body.

"What the... no... you wouldn't!" shouted Mizuarai.

"I would! There's no chance for you to escape this time. Even if you run now, it will do you no good. If you hide yourself in the ground, it will do no good. This blast will singe the gates of Amegakure from here! You can't escape! Now, feel the fear I felt as a child, watching as you and the shinobi under you murdered my parents!" shouted Ookami.

Mizuarai dropped his katana in shock, realizing his life was coming to an end.

"I'm sorry!" shouted Mizuarai.

"It's too late for apologies now!" shouted Ookami, as his body compacted in a small, black sphere.

"Geijutsu ha bakuhatsu da!" shouted Ookami, as he exploded.

"Ah!!" shouted Mizuarai, as he was caught in the blast.

The fire expanded outwards in all directions. The shock wave hit the council members holding the other members of Akatsuki. A column of fire in the shape of a wolf racing towards the heavens appeared. All in Amegakure could see the blast.

"No way... he used _that_ jutsu!?" shouted Deidara.

"What jutsu?" asked Itachi.

"Kyuukyoku Geijutsu... a self-portrait in the form of an explosion," replied Deidara.

"So, Ookami bit the dust, eh? What a shame," spoke Hidan.

"Asshole! He was the best partner I ever had!" shouted Deidara.

"Looks like both Mizuarai and that Ookami guy bit the dust? What should we do now?" asked one of the council members.

"Tobi thinks you should drop dead!"

"Huh?" muttered one of the council members, as Tobi delivered a punch to the man's face. With one of the council members knocked out of their formation, the barrier they raised fell.

"Tobi, how did you do that?" asked a surprised Deidara.

"Tobi is special!"

"Never mind, it's time to kick some ass!" shouted Deidara. He and the other Akatsuki members took up their battle stances. The remaining council members never stood a chance. One was immediately impaled by Sasori's scorpion tail. Another had her face shaved off by Kisame's Samehada. Hidan removed the arm of one member, and used the blood for his ritual. The man ended up dying as Hidan slammed a pike into his heart. The remaining council member used his speed to grab a hold of Yugito, and placed a kunai to her throat.

"Shit... such speed..." muttered Yugito.

"I'm the fasted shinobi in all of Kirigakure, so don't feel too bad. Now then, you let me leave, and the girl won't die," spoke the council member.

"How about his, you let the girl go, and I'll kill you faster, hm," spoke Deidara, while giving the council member a death glare.

"Yeah right, how stupid do you think I am?" asked the council member.

"Pretty stupid, spoke Deidara, while holding Yugito safely in his arms. The body the council member was holding was a clay sculpture of Yugito.

"How did you do that?" asked the man.

"I can move through the ground rather fast. Not as quick as Zetsu or Tobi, but fast enough. Now then, time for you to die, hm. Katsu!" shouted Deidara. The body the council member was holding exploded, burning the man badly, but not killing him.

"I'm going to have fun with you," spoke Deidara, as he allowed two explosive insects to crawl onto the mans arms. Two small explosions removed the man's arms. Deidara handed another insect to Yugito.

"He held you, you place this one, and tell me when, hm," spoke Deidara. An evil smile crossed Yugito's face. She dropped the bomb on the man, and nodded to Deidara.

"There? Ouch... but okay," replied Deidara, as another small explosion was made, removing what made the council member a man.

"Ah!! You bitch!" shouted the man.

"I've had my fun now," spoke Deidara, as he made another insect. Deidara forced the creature into the man's mouth, and stepped back as he caused the man's head to explode.

"You're evil, you know that, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Maybe, but I wanted him to suffer good. You should have played with him a little longer. Thanks for pulling me away from him. Not that I couldn't free myself, but I appreciate the thought," replied Yugito.

"I wanted to kill him for that. He really pissed me off, hm," spoke Deidara.

"That's not all of it, you did it for another reason, too," replied Yugito.

"Well... yeah... I didn't want him to hurt you," spoke Deidara.

"I'll give you credit, it's the first time you did something for me that wasn't an attempt to drag me into bed," spoke Yugito.

"Sure... it's not all about that..." muttered Deidara. Yugito gave Deidara a small hug, and a quick kiss on the cheek.

"That's all for now, okay? I'm not sure if I'm really warming up to you, or if its just blood lust. I do fall prey to that after a good kill," replied Yugito.

"Fair enough. I'm not that much in the mood. We should mourn Ookami," spoke Deidara.

"He was a good friend," replied Itachi.

"You considered him a friend?" asked Kisame, "Well, I guess I did, too."

"Yeah, that Ookami was one Hell of a guy, wasn't he?" came a voice from the distance.

The members of Akatsuki turned to look at the direction the voice came from to see Ookami walk towards them, apparently unharmed.

"For real!?" shouted Deidara.

"I wouldn't waste it on him. The little ass thought he had me when he attacked me in the air. Never even took to the skies. I was underground the entire time," spoke Ookami.

"Then what was that? C3?" asked Deidara.

"No, my special jutsu, Hijutsu: Kyuukyoku Geijutsu Gisei Bunshin, _(Secret Technique: Ultimate Art Sacrificial Clone)_" spoke Ookami.

"So that was a bunshin?" asked Deidara.

"Well, what exploded was the clone," replied Ookami, as he opened his cloak, and pulled up his shirt. The area around the mouth on Ookami's chest was badly burned. A seal was over the mouth.

"How did that happen to you, hm?" asked Deidara.

"I put clay in my chest mouth. I used my jutsu to connect my bunshin to my chest mouth, so it exploded in my stead. I haven't nailed down the control yet, hence the burns. I should see an iryounin, but I'll be fine," replied Ookami, "So, how goes it here?"

"They're all dead, thanks to Tobi breaking the barrier," replied Sasori.

"Tobi broke the barrier?" asked Ookami.

"Space-time jutsu! Tobi can go anywhere he wants with it!"

"Okay, works for me. You think the rest of the fighting is over?" asked Ookami.

Pein and Konan showed up as Ookami said that, looking around at what happened.

"Anyone know what caused that blast?" asked Deva Path Pein.

"My jutsu. I made sure to conduct it outside the village, so no worries. It backfired slightly, though. I just need to see an iryou ninja," replied Ookami.

"And the rest of you?" asked Deva Path Pein.

"We're fine, hm," replied Deidara.

"The fighting over the village has stopped. The remaining shinobi are fleeing the village," spoke Konan.

"Can we chase them down?" asked Kisame.

"No, that is not necessary. They've been demoralized enough; they won't come here again. We were able to get out of this without a single casualty. As news of this attack spreads, the other shinobi villages will learn to respect us. We shouldn't see any attacks in near future," spoke Deva Path Pein.

"Great..." muttered Ookami, right before he fell to the ground.

"Hey, Ookami!" shouted Deidara. The former Iwa-nin walked over to his partner, noticing that he was simply sleeping.

"I guess that jutsu of his must have taken a lot of chakra," spoke Konan.

"It's meant to be a suicide jutsu; it doesn't consider conserving chakra, hm," replied Deidara.

"I'll have to ask him to tell me about that jutsu later. Let's return to the base. Kakuzu, look over Ookami," spoke Deva Path Pein.

"Fine," replied Kakuzu. The other members nodded, and headed off for their base.

Konan and Kakuzu took Ookami to the medical room, while Pein sent Deidara out to survey the village to see if there was any damage.

"So, how does he look?" asked Konan.

"All the flesh and organs around his chest mouth have third degree burns. None of the damage sustained to his body is life threatening; however, if his control slipped for an instant, the area of the explosion would have reached his heart, killing him instantly. He should consider himself lucky his control is as good as it is," explained Kakuzu.

"What was he thinking?" asked Konan.

"Revenge," replied Kakuzu.

"I know he wanted to kill him for revenge against the crimes done to him by Kiri, but still, he should have known better," spoke Konan.

"Those of the younger generation have a tendency to easily rush into things and allow their emotions to take charge. One of the things I've learned over the years is that going in on emotion alone can get you killed," replied Kakuzu.

"Not to insult you, but you do seem to fall prey to anger quite often," spoke Konan.

"I won't deny that, but I would never lose my temper in battle. It's one thing when someone pisses me off, it's another when someone does so in battle. Calm thinking and sound strategy are the best way to make it through battle," replied Kakuzu.

"Of course. I often forget you have such an overwhelming amount of experience," spoke Konan.

"Such misunderstanding of my abilities has given me many victories and several bounties," replied Kakuzu.

"I see. Can you heal the damage done to Ookami's body?" asked Konan.

"Easily done, but he should stay out of battle for a week until he recovers," replied Kakuzu.

Kakuzu began healing Ookami, while Deidara returned from his surveillance.

"How is it?" asked Pein.

"The gate took a little heat, but other than that, there is no damage to any structures within the village. The Kiri-nin never set foot within our borders, hm," replied Deidara.

"Good. That's why I hold my shinobi in high regard; they're trained to be the best, and they are," spoke Pein.

"No kidding? Who trains them?" asked Deidara.

"I guess I never made mention of it, but my other bodies under a henge," replied Pein.

"Oh... that explains a lot," replied Deidara.

The explosives user let out a yawn, and headed for the kitchen. Everyone was tired from the day, and looking forward to a good meal from Mikoto, except Ookami, who was still recovering from his injuries. Konan had placed him on his bed after Kakuzu was done with him. Mikoto prepared everyone a steak dinner. She was planning on cooking sometime during the weekend, but felt the group earned if after having to repel an invasion. Everyone gave their thanks, and headed off to bed.

The next morning. Ookami finally awoke. He felt a little discomfort in his chest, but felt fine otherwise. He let out a yawn, stretched, and stood up. He took a look out the window to see it raining, as it usually did, and took a look around.

"I guess someone must have put me here..." muttered Ookami. After Ookami's mind woke up the rest of the way, he realized there was something important he was unable to do.

"Oh shit! I didn't get a chance to make a bunshin to leave with Yugito and Deidara!" shouted Ookami, as he ran out the door to check up on Deidara and make sure he was still alive.

"_I hope he didn't do anything to piss her off again,"_ Ookami thought to himself. Ookami opened the door to see the last thing he expected.

"Oh, Dei-kun... that was amazing," spoke Yugito, while holding Deidara. The former Iwa-nin could only smile back. Ookami was glad they had a blanket covering them.

"I have to be dreaming..." muttered Ookami.

"Ookami? You're up? Good thing you weren't up five minutes ago, hm," spoke Deidara.

Ookami smacked himself across the face to make sure what he was seeing was real. He realized it was.

"I know what you're thinking but... well, after he saved me from that council guy, albeit unnecessarily so, but... well, yeah, here we are," spoke Yugito.

"I don't believe it... you two actually got together, willingly... and... uh... I lost that bet, too," muttered Ookami.

"What bet?" asked Yugito.

"Everyone bet against us getting together without me having to change," replied Deidara.

"You know, that didn't seem like a worthwhile bet," spoke Yugito.

"They did it because I bet we would get together, hm," replied Deidara.

"Oh, did you?" asked Yugito.

"Last night and this morning didn't happen because of the bet, of course," replied Deidara.

"I know," replied Yugito, while hugging Deidara again.

"Well... I guess I won't have to make bunshin to keep an eye on you anymore... I'm going to leave you two alone now..." muttered Ookami.

"Good idea," replied Deidara and Yugito.

Ookami left Deidara and Yugito's room, and quietly closed the door. He decided to head for the living area and see who was up. Itachi, Kakuzu, and Sasori were sitting on the couch, watching TV.

"You knew, didn't you, somehow, you knew!" shouted Ookami, while pointing a finger at Itachi.

"Knew what?" asked Itachi.

"That they would get together, somehow!" shouted Ookami.

"I told you I had a hunch," replied Itachi.

"And it was right," spoke Kakuzu.

"I'm glad I wasn't around for this bet. I probably would have bet on his failing," spoke Sasori.

"We figured as much," replied Ookami, as he took a seat on left side of the couch, next to Itachi and Sasori.

"So, anyone need a beer as bad as I do?" asked Ookami.

"All of us were woken up by those two, so, to answer your question, yes," spoke Sasori.

"I'll go grab a few," replied Ookami. The wolf summoner retrieved a beer for the group in the kitchen and retook his seat on the couch.

"Nothing like an ice cold one to start the morning, right boys?" asked Ookami.

"At least a morning like this," spoke Itachi. The group of four downed their beers, while hunting for something descent to watch on their TV.

_A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. This fic is nearing it's end; the next chapter is set to be the last. It's been fun playing around with the Akatsuki; I may have to do it in another fic. For those of you who don't know "geijutsu ha bakuhatsu da" _(芸術は爆発だ) _is "art is a blast." Now, don't forget to review, okay?_


	14. The Final Battle

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, if I did, I'd have made Akatsuki too powerful_

_A/N: My life has been rather busy as of late, hence why I haven't been updating so much. (Who knew moving into a new place was stressful and time consuming). To make up for it, this is a double release. Two chapters, instead of one. Makes up for everything, right? Enjoy._

**Chapter 14: The Final Battle**

"How many have I had so far?" asked Ookami, as he downing another beer.

"That's number ten," replied Itachi.

"How are you not drunk yet?" asked Sasori.

"A modern day miracle... or maybe one of the perks of having been a jinchuuriki, one of the two," replied Ookami, as he finished with his beer, and started on the next.

"You're buying the next time we get beer," spoke Kakuzu.

"Fair enough," replied Ookami.

"You act like you saw them," spoke Sasori.

"Another thirty seconds, and I would have. And to think I was worried about her killing Deidara... I should have just left things as they were," replied Ookami.

"You should have. That's how I handle it when Kisame goes on one of his killing rampages," spoke Itachi.

"Indeed... I need another," spoke Ookami.

"There's only two left, and I need one of them just from seeing you do this," replied Sasori, as he picked up one of the two remaining beers.

"Hey Itachi, you have some more in that scroll of yours, right," asked Sasori.

"Emergency use only," replied Itachi.

"Scroll?" asked Ookami.

"That's right, you were busy fighting that Mizuarai guy. Itachi keeps some beers in a refrigeration scroll for emergencies. I'm guessing by emergencies, you mean being trapped in a barrier?" asked Sasori.

"That and listening to a couple of arguments going on at once," spoke Itachi, while staring at Kakuzu.

"You have something to say to me, Itachi?" asked Kakuzu.

"You want to experience being poor for a few days?" asked Itachi.

"I'll find a way to get to you one of these days, Itachi," replied Kakuzu.

"You may try," replied Itachi.

"Please, you two, don't argue. It's bad enough 'bang' boy woke me up this morning," spoke Sasori.

"Yeah, really, enough is enough. I'm still recovering from using my jutsu," spoke Ookami.

"And you're downing all those beers... that can't be good for you," spoke Sasori.

"Probably not, but it will make me feel better about what I saw," replied Ookami.

At that moment, Deidara and Yugito entered the room, much to Ookami's amusement.

"I need another one!" shouted Ookami.

"Fresh out," spoke Sasori, as he downed the last of the beers.

"You just had to go human today..." muttered Ookami.

"Why do you need to drink so badly, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Because I saw something I thought I would never see," replied Ookami.

"What, me and Yugito? There's worse things you could run into," spoke Deidara.

"Yeah, like the king of tentacles getting busy with a girl," spoke Yugito.

"Kakuzu has a girlfriend?" asked Ookami.

"No," spoke Deidara.

"Girls cost money," replied Kakuzu.

"Only the gold diggers. You just have to discriminate," spoke Yugito.

"And if that fails, tell everyone you're broke, hm," spoke Deidara.

Kakuzu appeared to be thinking over what Deidara and Yugito said.

"Hey, wait, wouldn't all the people his age be all old and shriveled? There aren't too many pushing his numbers that are still around and in good health," asked Ookami.

"There's always Chiyo obaa-chan," replied Sasori.

"Your grandmother... she's about the right age, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Yeah, there you go. There's a woman out there for you, Kakuzu!" shouted Ookami. Five seconds later, Ookami, Deidara, and Sasori had threads around their throats.

"I just had... to go... human today..." muttered Sasori.

"I'm sorry... Kakuzu... I'm sorry..." muttered Ookami.

"Kill them... spare me... hm..." muttered Deidara.

Itachi and Yugito cut the threads before the three of them suffocated.

"Arigatou, Itachi, Yugito. Not that I wouldn't have transferred out of this body, but thanks all the same," spoke Sasori.

"Yeah, thanks guys," replied Ookami.

"Arigatou, Yugito-chan, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Push you're luck again, and I'll severe your heads from your bodies," spoke Kakuzu.

"Yes, sir!" shouted Ookami and Deidara.

"I'm opening a bottle of whiskey," spoke Sasori.

"Whiskey?" asked Ookami.

"Are you guys getting drunk this early in the morning?" asked Pein, as he entered the room with Konan.

"Leader-sama? You up already, hm?" asked Deidara.

"It's ten. This is the time I normally wake up," replied Pein.

"It's ten already?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah. Have you guys been drinking?'" asked Pein.

"If you saw what I saw, you would, too," spoke Ookami.

"You shouldn't drink so much when you're recovering from injury," spoke Konan.

"Probably, but I'm a jinchuuriki, so I can get away with it," replied Ookami.

"You were a jinchuuriki, hm," spoke Deidara.

"And I will be again when all is said and done," replied Ookami.

"_And if I get drunk just from setting foot in your body, I'm going to rip my way out of your body, even if it kills both of us,"_ spoke Rokubi.

"_Ouch. I'll be sure to 'sober up' before that happens. Not that it really matters all that much, I have such a high tolerance for alcohol, you know,"_ replied Ookami.

"Is he staring off into space, hm?" asked Deidara.

"He must be talking to his bijuu," spoke Pein.

"Huh? Oh, you guys say something?" asked Ookami.

"Talking to the rokubi again?" asked Pein.

"Yeah, she's giving her opinion on my drinking too much. I guess this means I won't hit up the whiskey," spoke Ookami.

"Good, I will. It's hard to get a hold of the good stuff," spoke Sasori, as he pulled out a bottle from the kitchen cabinet.

"You should take the rokubi's advice and not drink so much," spoke Yugito.

"It's not like I go drinking all the time, you know. Just at parties... and after seeing my friend doing the girl he should have never had a chance with," spoke Ookami.

"You didn't see anything, hm," replied Deidara.

"I would have thrown something at you if you did," spoke Yugito.

"Okay, fair enough. I think I've had enough to drink for the moment. So, how long before the others will roll out of bed?" asked Ookami.

"Depends on how long it takes for me to get breakfast going," spoke Mikoto, as she entered the room. She made her way for the kitchen, as she did most mornings.

"Ah, yes, I could use a good breakfast," spoke Ookami.

"You don't get anything until you clean up those beer bottles," replied Mikoto, while looking at Ookami and Itachi.

"Hey, he contributed to it!" shouted Ookami, while pointing a finger at Sasori. Upon seeing Mikoto appear, Sasori quickly put his whiskey away and started working on getting a pot of coffee going.

"Hm?" asked Sasori.

"How did he do that..." muttered Ookami.

"Years of experience, hm," replied Deidara.

"I'll get to cleaning up. Let's gather up all the bottles, Itachi," replied Ookami.

"Sure," spoke Itachi.

Ookami and Itachi gathered up the beer bottles, while Mikoto started up breakfast. She prepared waffles and scrambled eggs for everyone.

"So, why were you two drinking beers this early in the morning?" asked Mikoto.

"I was woken up by Deidara," spoke Itachi.

"I saw what they were doing to wake up Itachi," replied Ookami.

"And just what were you doing?" asked Mikoto, while looking at Deidara.

"Uh... that's not something we should talk about over a meal, hm," replied Deidara, while starting to blush. Yugito was also blushing.

"Did they...?" asked Mikoto.

Ookami just nodded as he began eating his waffles. Mikoto had a blank expression somewhere between shock and amazement at what she just heard. Deidara and Yugito continued to blush.

As the aroma from Mikoto's breakfast spread throughout the base, the other members made their way out of bed and to the dining area. By eleven, everyone was out of bed and well fed. Mikoto cleaned up after breakfast, while Pein put on his business face.

"Now that breakfast is done, it's time to discuss our plans in the capture of the final two bijuu. First, I want to say you all did well during yesterday's attack. While I find our small victory worthy of a party, that will have to wait. We're too close to our goals to take a break from marching forward towards our final victory. Now, before we received word of the attack yesterday, we were discussing the hachibi jinchuuriki," spoke Pein.

"That's right, Takahachi Kirabi, the otouto of the Sandaime Raikage, Takahachi Yuu," replied Yugito.

"You told us he is a master of raiton no jutsu and kenjutsu. Does he have any other abilities we should be aware of?" asked Pein.

"He has full control of his bijuu, and can take the full form of the hachibi," replied Yugito.

"Like you did when we were fighting you?" asked Kakuzu.

"No, my version was a miniature version. He can take the full form of his beast," replied Yugito.

"So, basically he's the strongest jinchuuriki we've encountered to date?" asked Deidara.

"Second strongest," spoke Ookami.

"He's got two tails over you, hm," replied Deidara.

"Bah, I could still take him," spoke Ookami.

"_You tell them! That stink'n ox has nothing on me!" _shouted the rokubi.

"_Hell yeah!!"_ replied Ookami.

"_He thinks he's so tough. 'I have big, shiny muscles. I can crush a skull with my bare hands.' He's a muscle bound, brainless dipshit who wouldn't know his left from his right without a picture book explaining it to him," _spoke the rokubi.

"_Exactly! The Ookami Ichizoku is the best there is!"_ replied Ookami.

"Hey, Ookami!" shouted Deidara, noticing Ookami appeared to be staring off into space.

"Huh?" asked Ookami.

"Pay attention!" shouted Pein.

"Hai, leader-sama! Just conversing with Rokubi," replied Ookami.

"Does she know anything we don't of the hachibi's abilities?" asked Pein.

"He's strong and not too bright. He would compliment his jinchuuriki's affinity for raiton no jutsu," replied Ookami.

"Not too bright? His beast seemed rather smart to me," spoke Yugito.

"You've conversed with him before?" asked Ookami.

"We were on good terms with our bijuu. Kumo didn't treat their jinchuuriki like trash or relics of war. We were treated as everyone else was," replied Yugito.

"Interesting..." muttered Ookami.

"We would often converse with each other's beasts by linking our minds together," spoke Yugito.

"You linked your minds together?" asked Deidara, sounding slightly jealous.

"I looked at him as a bigger brother, not someone I would seek out as a lover. The hachibi kept trying to hit on the nibi, though," spoke Yugito.

"_Yeah, that sounds like him. He was always hitting on us... well, except for the kyuubi. She got rather upset with him the day he went too far,"_ spoke the rokubi.

"_So that's why you told me not to overdo it when I was seeking the affections of Kuro..." _ thought Ookami.

"The hachibi is rather full of pride, too, as is Kirabi. If we were forced to fight him, he would fight us to the death if he felt it necessary. He hates to lose," spoke Yugito.

"It would be troublesome for us if we were forced to fight him. Even if we revived him, the loss of his bijuu may upset the Raikage. It could be a problem for us if the Raikage found out we were based here and sent an attack force. I doubt we could hold off a full force from Kumo as well as we did with the small force that approached us out of Kiri," spoke Pein.

"Considering the fact that the force sent here yesterday was nothing more than a distraction, we likely would have problems with a full scale invasion force," spoke Sasori.

"While I'm confident we could repel such an attack it would be best to avoid it. As I said before, since this is a delicate situation, it would be best if we didn't sent Hidan and Kakuzu as we had originally planned," spoke Pein.

"Agreed," spoke most of the members present. Hidan let out a grunt, while Kakuzu turned to stare at Hidan.

"You're insinuating something, aren't you?" asked Hidan.

"That you know nothing of the art of stealth?" asked Kakuzu.

"Save the argument for later," spoke Pein, while giving death glares to Hidan and Kakuzu. The two went silent.

"I can go. I might be able to convince him to come along if I go about it the right way," spoke Yugito.

"If she's going, I'm going, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Well then, I guess that means I'm going," spoke Ookami.

"You're not going anywhere while recovering from that injury, Ookami. I'll need to send someone in your place," replied Pein.

"Very well," spoke Ookami.

"Sasori and I work best together. He would be the best choice," spoke Deidara.

"This is true, but I believe Itachi would be better fitted for this," spoke Pein.

"Itachi? You're going to partner me with Itachi, hm?" asked Deidara.

"He's the best of us with information control, thanks to his powerful genjutsu. Besides me, he is the only one with a capacity to wipe the memory of a person. His strongest jutsu are also better adapted to dealing with large scale opponents," explained Pein.

"While I do believe I can readily handle a beast on my own, as I demonstrated on my last mission, I do agree with the leader on choosing Itachi for his information control skills. It's unlikely the jinchuuriki will be alone, since knowledge of our organization is fairly wide spread. It would be a problem if those with him never returned," replied Sasori.

"Very well, I accept," spoke Itachi.

"Since you need not worry about capturing the kyuubi jinchuuriki, thanks to our agreement with him, it's fitting that you are placed on this mission," spoke Pein.

"Okay, so Yugito, Itachi, and me on this one, hm? I guess I can learn to live with Itachi as a partner if Yugito is with me," spoke Deidara.

"Since you have no choice in the matter, it's best you do get along," spoke Pein.

"We'll discuss specifics on plans on our way. Is there anything else we should know before leaving?" asked Itachi.

"There is a chance there will be patrols out looking for us, especially if news of the nanabi's capture has spread," spoke Yugito.

"The one good thing we have working for us is that most of our journey will be in Hi no Kuni," spoke Deidara.

"I can get us through Hi no Kuni without incident," replied Itachi.

"We'll need to be on guard as we approach Kaminari no Kuni. I wouldn't be surprised if we ran into patrols along the border," spoke Yugito.

"Do what you need to get into Kaminari no Kuni, but be careful in dealing with their shinobi. I would rather avoid conflict with Kumo," replied Pein.

"I'll take care of any patrols we run into," spoke Itachi.

"Very well. Anything else?" asked Pein.

"That's it," replied Yugito.

"Very well, leave as soon as you are ready. I understand it will take several days for you to reach Kumo. I will be awaiting a response. Inform me of any patrols you run into," spoke Pein.

Itachi, Deidara, and Yugito nodded.

"Oh, and Yugito. Since you have yet to learn of our communication jutsu, I will need you to learn it from Itachi and Deidara. You'll need this, too," spoke Pein.

Pein tossed Yugito a small piece of metal with a clip on it.

"It goes on the back of your neck. I found mine sealed in the scroll I learned it from," spoke Ookami.

"We all have one, hm," spoke Deidara, as he lifted his hair to show Yugito where his was.

"It's allows him to communicate with you over just about any distance. It's mainly so we can all be together with our group fuuinjutsu, but it works for general communication," explained Ookami.

"Okay," spoke Yugito.

"Well, I guess it's time to gather our supplies. Hey, Itachi, you don't get air sick, do you?" asked Deidara.

"What do you mean?" asked Itachi.

"Well, the fastest way for us to travel is by one of my birds, hm," replied Deidara.

"I don't, but I wouldn't use them in Hi no Kuni. They keep an eye on their skies. We'll stick to the ground for most of our trip," spoke Itachi.

"Oh... okay then," replied Deidara.

The three heading out gathered their supplies, while the others tried to figure out what they would do for the rest of the day.

"Well, I guess I'll go and see Hinata. I don't have much else to do, and I should probably avoid training for a week, give or take," spoke Ookami.

"Hey, before you go, why don't you help me out with one of my rituals?" asked Hidan.

"Hmm... yeah, sure, I can do that, I guess..." muttered Ookami.

"I have a bounty to see. There's a target worth twenty million nearby, and I'm not about to pass up an opportunity like this," spoke Kakuzu.

"Hey, can I join you?" asked Kisame.

"Uh... Kisame..." spoke Ookami.

"Best if you don't, I'm the only one who can work with him," replied Hidan.

"I would listen to him. I _can_ kill you," spoke Kakuzu, as he left to his room to gather supplies.

"What's with him?" asked Kisame.

"That's just how the prick gets when there's a 'bounty opportunity,'" replied Hidan.

"He doesn't want company?" asked Kisame.

"He barely tolerates me. The miserable old fuck keeps me around, because he can't kill me," spoke Hidan.

"I wouldn't take it personally," spoke Ookami.

"Yeah, but things get kind of boring around here without Itachi," replied Kisame.

"You don't have to have him around for one your killing sprees, do you?" asked Ookami.

"Well, no. But here's the thing, it's the same thing without Itachi. His genjutsu tricks really get into people's minds. No two act the same. That's what keeps it interesting," replied Kisame, with a shark grin.

"Oh..." replied Hidan and Ookami.

"Don't you guys ever get tired of the same thing over and over again?" asked Kisame.

"No two people react to me the same way," replied Hidan.

"My art is always evolving. It's about bigger and better explosions, after all," replied Ookami.

"I guess that makes sense. Maybe I should find a way to make things more amusing. Maybe I could try to learn some genjutsu," spoke Kisame.

"Don't people give you different reactions because of the whole shark thing?" asked Ookami.

"They did at first. Now that my picture is in every bingo book from Kiri all the the way to Suna, everyone reacts the same way... the dumb ones cower in fear before trying to rush me, while the smarter ones cower in fear before running away from me," replied Kisame.

"Okay... how about that ritual, Hidan?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah... good idea... fucked up shark..." muttered Hidan.

Hidan and Ookami walked off to Hidan's ritual chamber, leaving Kisame to find his own entertainment.

"Its been a while since the last time I acquired a new puppet..." muttered Sasori to himself, as he was walking to his workshop. He changed out of his human body and back into his puppet body. He was busy hammering away at a puppet he had on his work table.

"This should finish it," spoke Sasori, as he closed a hatch on the back of the puppet.

"Hey, Sasori-senpai!!" shouted Tobi, as he ran into Sasori's workshop.

"Tobi.. what did I tell you about running into my workshop without permission?" asked Sasori.

"Umm... something about becoming a puppet!" shouted Tobi.

"Madara-san, we're alone in here. Drop the act. I don't need, nor want a headache," replied Sasori.

"I told you, you need to loosen up some," spoke Madara.

"Yeah, yeah," replied Sasori.

"Kisame is looking for something to do. Maybe you two could think of something," spoke Madara.

"I did want to find a new person suitable to becoming a puppet. I was about to look through the list of people loyal to Hanzou we haven't killed yet," replied Sasori.

"Then you can work on that. I'll just help around here today," spoke Madara, while reverting back to Tobi.

Sasori sighed as the masked-nin made his way out of his workshop. Sasori gathered some scrolls, and hopped into Hiruko as he left his workshop. He saw Kisame sitting in front of the television, looking for something.

"Hey, Kisame," spoke Sasori.

"Eh? Sasori? You going somewhere?" asked Kisame.

"Hunting. I heard you need something to do," replied Sasori.

"Sure, why not. Last time we were on a hunt together was before Deidara joined," spoke Kisame.

"Hey, can Tobi come?"

"No!!" shouted Sasori and Kisame in unison.

"Okay..." muttered Tobi, walking off slowly, looking like he was sulking.

"We could bring him," spoke Kisame.

"I was just on a mission with him. I need some time away from him. Maybe next time. You hear that Tobi," replied Sasori.

Tobi turned around and nodded before walking off.

"_Great, just great,"_ Sasori thought to himself. Kisame went to gather up a few supplies, while Sasori did a quick check of Hiruko's weapons.

As Sasori and Kisame were about to leave, Itachi, Deidara, and Yugito were about to leave, as well.

"Ah, heading out, too, Sasori no Danna?" asked Deidara.

"I could use a new puppet. It's been a while since the last time I created one," replied Sasori.

"I'm joining him," spoke Kisame.

"Do try to remember the body needs to be in some good form for Sasori to be able to use it," spoke Itachi, remembering how Kisame often goes overboard in ripping apart his victims.

"I'll be 'gentle.' At least my version of gentle," replied Kisame.

"You better," replied Sasori.

"Well, we need to get going. It's a long journey, and I don't want to put it off for another second, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I see you've finally learned a little of the value of time. I won't keep you. Let's go, Kisame," spoke Sasori.

"Ja ne," spoke Kisame, as he and Sasori left the base.

"We'll fly until we get to the border of Hi no Kuni. That won't be a problem, right?" asked Deidara.

"Not at all. Let's go," replied Itachi.

"_It's just one mission. I only have to get along with him for one mission, and then I'll never have to worry about being teamed up with him and those damn eyes of his again," _Deidara thought to himself.

Deidara opened the way to the balcony, and molded a small piece of clay in his hands. Deidara threw the clay sculpture, and expanded it into a bird large enough to hold three people.

"Alright, let's go!" shouted Deidara, as he hopped onto his bird, followed by Yugito and Itachi. The group headed out of Amegakura no Sato, and made their way for Kumogakure.

"Finally, a little piece and quiet... at least as long as 'Tobi' keeps himself under control," muttered Pein.

"Nagato-kun," spoke Konan.

"Hai, Konan-hime?"

"You want to... have a little fun?"

"Hmm... hold on a second," spoke Pein, as his Deva Path traded places with his real body.

"Ready?" asked Konan.

"Hold on, I'm still thinking about it. I'm not sure if I'm in the mood, or not," replied Nagato.

"Oh, not sure if you're in the mood?" asked Konan, as she removed her cloak.

"I'm still not sure," replied Nagato.

Konan removed her top, leaving nothing but a bra separating her bosom from the view of her lover.

"Hmm... I don't know," spoke Nagato.

Konan walked slowly up to Nagato, sat on his lap, and gave his a deep, passionate kiss. Konan could feel her lover's "excitement" at her touch.

"The sound barrier is already up," spoke Nagato, as he and Konan broke their kiss.

"I thought as much," replied Konan, as she undid her bra, and laid up against Nagato.

Outside of Pein's office, Tobi was knocking furiously, trying to get the attention of his "leader."

"Hey! Leader-sama!!" shouted Tobi.

Tobi acted as though he had no idea what the white sock on the door meant while he continued to pound on the door.

"Tobi, you shouldn't do that," spoke Zetsu.

"Oh, Zetsu-san. Why shouldn't Tobi do that?"

"That sock means those two are having private time. You remember?" asked Zetsu.

"Huh? Oh, right! Tobi knew that!"

"I need to look into a possible spy. Behave while I'm gone, Tobi," spoke Zetsu's white side.

"Or else suffer the consequences," spoke Zetsu's black side.

"Hai, Zetsu-san!" shouted Tobi.

"He's a good kid, when he wants to be," spoke Zetsu's white side.

"While he's not bothering the Hell out of us," spoke Zetsu's black side.

"_I fail to understand what he gains by acting like this. It really pissed me off,"_ thought Zetsu's black side.

"_You have to remember what he told us before. His acting out allows him to relieve his stress,"_ replied Zetsu's white side.

"_Indeed, it does. If he could be less bothersome, though,"_ spoke Zetsu's black side.

Zetsu made his way out of the base, heading to the border of Amegakure.

"Well, seems that everyone is busy with something. Maybe now I can have a moment to rest," spoke Mikoto.

"Can Tobi help Mikoto kaa-chan?"

"Oh, I need to rest for a little while. I told myself I was going to clean the kitchen today. I just need a few minutes to myself," replied Mikoto.

"Tobi will help!"

"Okay, Tobi, you can help. Just give me an hour, okay?" asked Mikoto.

"Okay!!" shouted Tobi.

In the skies of Ame no Kuni, the group out to capture the hachibi jinchuuriki were fast approaching the border of Hi no Kuni.

"Deidara, be careful not to enter Kusa no Kuni. While they don't monitor the skies as well as Hi no Kuni, they would respond more violently if we wandered into their territory," spoke Itachi.

"I know, I know, hm. I know about where the border is. I won't cross it. I know to land when we get close to Hi no Kuni, too, so don't worry about it," replied Deidara.

"Fine," spoke Itachi.

"You two don't get along too well, do you?" asked Yugito.

"Oh, at first I hated him. It's better than when we first met," replied Deidara.

"How did you first meet?" asked Yugito.

"When I was 'drafted' into Akatsuki, hm," replied Deidara.

"Drafted?" asked Yugito.

"Deidara is the only current member not to join of his free will. Leader-sama asked us to invite him into the organization after hearing of his abilities. I was sent to gather him with Sasori and Kisame. Deidara held no interest in joining on his own, so I offered him a chance to be rid of us," explained Itachi.

"And what chance did you give him?" asked Yugito.

"I had to fight him. I was told if I was able to defeat him, I would never have to worry about being approached by Akatsuki ever again, hm," replied Deidara.

"I take it you are mad at him because you lost?" asked Yugito.

"It's not that I did lose so much as _how_ I lost," replied Deidara.

"What do you mean?" asked Yugito.

"I tricked him with my genjutsu into nearly using his own 'art' on himself. Had I not revealed to him what had taken place when I did, he likely would have blown himself apart," replied Itachi.

"That damn Sharingan of yours. I can't stand it," replied Deidara.

"But you learned to find a way to get along with Itachi, right?" asked Yugito.

"I'm still pissed off about it, but not so much as I was before, hm. It would be a lie for me to say he was my best friend, but I can somewhat get along with him. I still hate his Sharingan," replied Deidara.

"If it makes you feel any better, I did find somewhat of a challenge in you. Your will was rather bothersome to bend," spoke Itachi.

"Thanks, I think," spoke Deidara.

"We're getting close to Hi no Kuni," spoke Itachi.

"Yeah, I noticed. The forest is a dead giveaway. I'm looking for a good spot to land... there's one right there, hm," spoke Deidara, as he landed. After the three disembarked, Deidara made the bird disappear.

"Hey, did you two see anything?" asked Yugito.

"What do you mean?" asked Deidara.

"I could have sworn I saw someone," replied Yugito.

"I didn't see anything... katsu!!" shouted Deidara, as nearby boulder was blown apart. A crushed log fell to the ground beside the boulder.

"Kawarimi, hm?" asked Deidara.

"I see him," spoke Itachi, as he threw a kunai in the path of the man.

"Jiraiya, of the Densetsu no Sannin. What are you doing here?" asked Itachi.

"Uchiha Itachi, S-rank nukenin of Konoha, and Deidara, S-rank nukenin of Iwa. I should be asking that of you," replied Jiraiya.

"We're just passing through," spoke Yugito.

"Eh? Well, you can pass through anytime you want!" shouted Jiraiya, as he used shunshin to appear in front of Yugito.

"Back off, she's my girlfriend," spoke Deidara.

"Oh?" asked Jiraiya.

"This is your only warning, hm," spoke Deidara.

"What are you going to do?" asked Jiraiya.

At the point, Yugito kicked Jiraiya in the balls.

"Nothing; she will, though," replied Deidara.

Jiraiya pretended to be in pain, then stood straight up, with a big grin on his face.

"I learned to use protection over the years, but I'll stop there," spoke Jiraiya, as he stepped away.

"Wise choice. Now, what are you doing here, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Can't a guy take a tour of the countryside?" asked Jiraiya.

"From what I could see, you were on your way into Ame no Kuni. Not exactly a pleasant country to walk through," replied Itachi.

"Why were you going into Ame no Kuni?" asked Deidara.

"Why were you coming out of it?" asked Jiraiya.

"It's three to one. You may be strong, but I doubt you could easily take on the three of us. I'll ask again, why were you headed into Ame no Kuni?" asked Itachi.

"I can't really say. Konoha shinobi only, as in current Konoha shinobi," spoke Jiraiya, while looking at Itachi.

"You shouldn't, you know, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I shouldn't what?" asked Jiraiya.

"You shouldn't stick your nose where it doesn't belong. You might start up a conflict that could otherwise be avoided," replied Itachi.

"What could one person possibly do?" asked Jiraiya.

"Uh... let's be direct. You want to know if Akatsuki's leader is in Amegakure, right?" asked Yugito.

"What would give you that impression?" asked Jiraiya.

"We're not stupid. This is for your own safety. Do not enter Ame no Kuni, and avoid Amegakure. Our leader doesn't take too kindly to intruders," replied Itachi.

"This complicates things. If he knows, more than likely the Hokage knows, hm," spoke Deidara.

"This is rather unfortunate. I'll have to consult with leader-sama on this one. Keep him here," replied Itachi.

"Fine," spoke Deidara.

"Yuutai Ridatsu no Jutsu," spoke Itachi, as he closed his eyes.

Itachi's projection appeared before Pein's office. Itachi noticed the white sock on the door.

"_This could take a while,"_ Itachi thought to himself.

To Itachi's surprise, Konan opened the door to remove the sock. She appeared to be glowing, and had a rather cheerful grin on her face. She was about to close the door before she noticed Itachi standing before her.

"Oh, Itachi? Already?" asked Konan.

"There is a new problem. I must speak with Leader-sama," replied Itachi.

"Alright, enter," replied Konan.

Itachi entered to see Pein at his desk, with the same grin Konan had. His smile disappeared upon seeing Itachi.

"Itachi? I doubt you made it to Kaminari no Kuni already. What is it?" asked Pein.

"We ran into Jiraiya of Konoha. He knows our base is in Amegakure. Tsunade likely knows as well," replied Itachi.

"This is a problem. If Konoha took action against us, we would be wiped out. Is Jiraiya with you?" asked Pein.

"He is," replied Itachi.

"Very well. I will speak to him myself," spoke Pein.

Itachi opened his eyes again, looking around to see Yugito and Deidara were keeping careful eye on Jiraiya.

"Leader-sama wishes to speak with you," spoke Itachi.

Pein's image appeared beside Itachi. Pein looked over Jiraiya for a moment before speaking.

"Jiraiya, it seems you have come into some information," spoke Pein.

"Who are you?" asked Jiraiya.

"That is of no concern. I would advise you to keep this information to yourself and those who already know. As of now, there are five other Konoha shinobi who know our location. They have sworn to secrecy, assuming our current stance with Konoha does not change. I advise you to do the same," explained Pein.

"Very well, I will make sure to tell the Hokage this, but I'm only doing this to prevent possible conflicts. The moment you stand against Konoha is the moment we send an army into Amegakure to look for you. I'm sure the shinobi of Amegakure will cooperate with us," replied Jiraiya.

"_It would seem his information is incomplete. This works to our advantage,"_ thought Pein.

"Then we are in agreement. Do not enter Ame no Kuni. For your own safety, it would be best to turn back. And be wary of trying to look around the next time Amegakure hosts the chuunin exams," spoke Pein, before disappearing.

"We need to be on our way, Jiraiya-sama," spoke Itachi, as he led the group of Akatsuki members into Hi no Kuni.

"I can't just let you into Hi no Kuni without some kind of guarantee. Regardless of our stance towards Akatsuki, you are still a nukenin of Konoha, guilty of treason and the death of the Uchiha Clan," spoke Jiraiya.

"Our path through Hi no Kuni takes us no where near Konoha, hm. There's only one of us with any kind of interest in entering Konoha, hm. And that's only because his girlfriend is one of your kunoichi," replied Deidara.

"Very well. I"m sure you know what will happen if you enter Konoha. You best to stay true to your word," spoke Jiraiya, as he shunshined elsewhere.

"What a pain, hm. What do you know of him, Itachi?" asked Deidara.

"He's a very powerful shinobi, not to be underestimated. It is fortunate we were not forced into fighting him," replied Itachi.

"If you say he's strong, he must be somewhat worthy of his reputation, hm," spoke Deidara.

"He is also the author of the Icha Icha series, and a self-proclaimed 'super-pervert,'" replied Itachi.

"Eh? That book series Ookami likes!?" shouted Deidara.

"Correct," replied Itachi.

"Damn... I've read a couple. He's not bad," spoke Deidara.

"That explains a lot..." muttered Yugito.

"We need to continue. Let's go," replied Itachi.

The group of three continued on, while Jiraiya watched from a distance.

"So, one of them likes Icha Icha? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised I'm famous among nukenin," spoke Jiraiya, as he continued to observe the group.

"I can only observe them while they are in Hi no Kuni. At most, some of the territories along the border. It would be difficult to follow them into a nation with hostilities towards Konoha. Let's just see where they are really headed," Jiraiya spoke to himself.

As night approached, the group found a place to set up camp for the night. Deidara made a tent to share with Yugito, while Itachi chose to sleep outside amongst the stars.

"Hey, Itachi, should we conduct guard shifts, hm?" asked Deidara.

"It won't be necessary. I have several traps planned to set up around the area. It would be next to impossible to approach us without setting one of them off," replied Itachi.

"Next to impossible? That would mean there is a chance someone could get through, right?" asked Yugito.

"It is possible, but it would have to be a shinobi of our level or higher," replied Itachi.

"Aren't those the kind of shinobi we would want to be awake for?" asked Yugito.

"I wouldn't worry about it. There aren't too many shinobi out here with the capacity to take us on, hm," spoke Deidara, "There aren't too many villages with shinobi along the northern border of Hi no Kuni."

"If you say so," spoke Yugito.

"When did you become the expert on Hi no Kuni?" asked Itachi.

"You have Ookami to thank for that, hm. Since he comes here all the time to see his Hinata, he figured it would be useful to learn a little more about the landscape. He even knows about a few villages you don't know about, hm," replied Deidara.

"Does he?" asked Itachi.

"Here's the map he gave me. His information is more up to date, hm," replied Deidara, as he pulled out a scroll and handed it to Itachi. The Uchiha Clan member looked over the map carefully.

"He's missing a couple villages, and some are in the wrong location," spoke Itachi.

"Oh, no, they aren't. Some of the villages collapsed or were abandoned. Others were forced to move, due to territorial disputes or civil strife, hm," replied Deidara.

"And when did he get the time to learn this?" asked Itachi.

"While sightseeing with Hinata. She was able to help him make that map through her doujutsu," replied Deidara.

"Impressive. I'll have to keep his skills in mind the next time we need to map out an area," spoke Itachi, as he rolled up the scroll, and handed it back to Deidara.

"I'll go gather some food before Itachi sets up the traps," spoke Yugito.

"I'll join you, hm," spoke Deidara.

"You have a half hour. I would advise you not to waste time," spoke Itachi.

"Don't worry, it won't take that long, hm," replied Deidara, as he and Yugito dashed off to find their dinner.

"I wonder how long that pest will continue to watch us..." Itachi muttered to himself, referring to Jiraiya. The group knew he was still on their tale, but chose to ignore him, as dealing with him wasn't a priority. They were also sure Jiraiya wouldn't attempt to follow them into Kaminari no Kuni.

Deidara and Yugito arrived in time to see Itachi set up the last of his traps.

"Hey, I thought you weren't going to set those up until after we returned?" spoke Yugito.

"I never said that. I just made sure to leave the area you headed off in free of traps," replied Itachi.

"He has a point, hm. It does take a little effort to set up a high level trap that is both effective and well concealed," spoke Deidara.

"What did you find?" asked Itachi.

"Got some deer, and some fruit we found. I checked the fruit to make sure it was safe," replied Yugito.

"Is the deer still in good enough condition to eat?" Itachi asked, while looking over at Deidara.

"I didn't blow it into pieces. I used the katana Ookami gave to me. Now, let's eat, hm," replied Deidara.

The group cooked up their meal, ate, and went to sleep. Jiraiya continued his observation of the group, but chose to keep his distance for the time being. When he noticed that they had fallen asleep, he decided to do the same. The night passed by without incident. In the morning, the group quickly ate some of the leftover fruit, and packed up, continuing on their journey.

"Hey, you think we could try to find a small village next time?" asked Yugito.

"Yeah... a tent is a little cramped, hm," replied Deidara.

"What do you mean? There is room for up to four people in one," spoke Itachi.

"You should know full well why those things aren't suitable for couples," replied Deidara.

"I've never been with only _one_ girl before," spoke Itachi.

"Oh..." muttered Yugito.

"I forgot about that..." muttered Deidara.

"I did have a place in mind for us to stop in," replied Itachi.

"That's good," spoke Deidara.

"It's outside of Hi no Kuni. Yugakure no Sato," spoke Itachi.

"Yugakure?" asked Yugito.

"Isn't that the village Hidan came from?" asked Deidara.

"It's a resort village now. It hasn't been a shinobi village since before Hidan left it," explained Itachi.

"Makes sense," spoke Yugito.

"_Yugakure? I can follow them there. If that is in their path, though, it's likely they are heading into Kaminari no Kuni,"_ Jiraiya thought to himself, as he continued to follow the group. As sunset approached, the group had arrived in Yugakure.

"This was a shinobi village?" asked Deidara.

"There's no sign of any defenses having been here," spoke Yugito.

"This village has changed rapidly over the past few years. Kisame and I come here rather often," replied Itachi.

"Why would you two come here frequently?" asked Yugito.

"Oh no..." muttered Deidara.

"This place is full of ready and willing women," replied Itachi.

"I shouldn't have asked..." muttered Yugito.

Jiraiya jotted down some notes upon hearing what Itachi said, as he took up a henge, and entered the village.

"At one point in time, they had shared hot springs here," spoke Itachi, as the group found a hotel to check into.

"Are you the reason they changed that?" asked Yugito.

"No. Women didn't mind my presence. It was the writer of Icha Icha that brought forth this change," replied Itachi.

"You mean Jiraiya?" asked Deidara.

"Correct," replied Itachi.

"Makes sense. I wouldn't want to see him in the hot springs," spoke Yugito, while shaking at the thought.

"Well, let's drop our stuff into our rooms and hit the hot springs. Might as well take advantage of being here, right, Yugito-chan?" asked Deidara.

"Sure, Dei-kun," replied Yugito.

"They do have couples hot springs," spoke Itachi.

"Do they now?" asked Deidara.

"Yeah. I don't like them, because they wouldn't allow me to bring in more than one girl at a time, but I'm sure you two may like to go there," replied Itachi.

"Okay!" shouted the couple.

The group dropped their things off in their rooms and made their way for the hot springs. Itachi grumbled about how empty the hot springs felt without the shared hot springs. The Uchiha cursed Jiraiya for bringing this upon him. Jiraiya continued his henge, and attempted to make a hole in the wall separating the mens hot springs from the women's hot springs. While this went unnoticed by most of the people there, Itachi noticed immediately, and approached the gama sennin.

"Jiraiya, are you trying to make this place worse?" asked Itachi, with his Sharingan active.

"Who is Jiraiya?" asked Jiraiya, while hoping to fool Itachi.

"There's only one person who would peak at the women's side while holding a notebook," replied Itachi.

"Alright, alright," replied Jiraiya, while dispelling his henge.

"I have no problem with you following us," spoke Itachi, "While I find it bothersome that you've likely figured the direction we're headed, I know full well you won't follow us."

"So you are indeed heading for Kaminari no Kuni. What could you want from there?" asked Jiraiya.

"The blond kunoichi with my partner is from Kumogakure," replied Itachi.

"She didn't have a Kumo hitai-ate," spoke Jiraiya.

"It would be unwise to wear another village's hitai-ate while in Ame. You should at least know that much," replied Itachi.

"I see. Fine. I know you're not being truthful with me, but I can't risk stirring up Kumo by entering their village. I would advise you to be careful, as well. Pushing them into taking action against Akatsuki would not work to your advantage," spoke Jiraiya.

"Thank you for your concern, but we're well aware of this fact. That's why we're taking the kunoichi with us. Now then, I wish to relax for the rest of my stay here. Keep out of our business, and find somewhere else to take notes. It's bad enough they put up this wall because of you," replied Itachi.

"Fine," spoke Jiraiya.

Itachi retreated to another corner of the hot spring, and allowed himself to relax, doing his best to ignore Jiraiya and his continued attempts at peaking, despite what Itachi had said to him.

"So, this is the couples hot spring, hm?" asked Deidara, as he and Yugito entered.

"There are so many couples here," replied Yugito.

"Hmm... what does that sign say... 'No acts of intimacy are allowed at any time.' I guess that makes sense. It would be rather awkward to come into a room with people fooling around, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I'm not to type to do such things in a public place. I don't understand how anyone could," replied Yugito.

"Well, someone must have done it once. I'm sure that sign is there for a good reason, hm," spoke Deidara.

The two immersed themselves in the hot springs, and took a few minutes to relax. The place they were in had a friendly atmosphere of people discussing various topics. The pair happened to hear one conversation that caught their attention.

"Man, you guys remember that guy who went crazy in this village a few years ago?" asked one man.

"What guy?" asked a woman with blond hair.

"The one who used to be a shinobi here, back when this was a hidden village?" asked a man with red hair.

"Yeah, that one," replied the first man.

"I remember him. Crazy guy, almost killed me. I was barely able to escape from his rampage," spoke the red haired man.

"That was the guy who almost killed you?" asked the blond.

"Almost killed me, too," spoke a woman with short, dark hair.

"What was his name?" asked the first man.

"Hidan was his name," replied the other man.

"Ah, that's right. He was a Jashinist, right?" asked the first man.

"One of the few that escaped from here. I heard he joined this group called Akatsuki, or something," spoke the red haired man.

"Indeed. The reason I brought him up is I heard this rumor going around about that organization," spoke the first man.

"Oh, what is it, hun?" asked the dark haired woman.

"They're trying to capture people known as jinchuuriki. They have something sealed in them, some kind of power, or something. These guys have almost captured all of them. I heard Kumo was in a fit over it. They already got one of Kumo's jinchuuriki, and they're on their way to capturing the other," explained the first man.

"Bah, let them worry about it. That's why we stopped being a part of the ninja system; we got tired of all the messes started up by the other villages, especially the villages of the Five Great Shinobi Nations," replied the red haired man.

"I know. I was tired of being a kunoichi, having to deal with Kumo-nin running through our village, and stirring up something. I got so sick and tired of having to deal with it. It's like they thought they could control us, or something," spoke the blond haired woman.

"Remember when we had that group of Kumo-nin stay here for treatment in our hospital?" asked the dark haired woman.

"I remember that. We did that as an act of good will in the name of our treaty with them. And what did we get for our act of kindness? They end up starting a fight with a group of our shinobi. They just had to pick a fight with that Hidan guy's platoon," replied the blond.

"It was such a mess to clean up. Kumo almost started a war with us over that. Damn Jashin nut job. At least we don't have to worry about that anymore," spoke the red haired man.

"I hope it stays that way. If these Akatsuki guys stir up something, we might end up getting tangled in it," replied the first man.

"They're worried about us starting a fight with Kumo, hm? I can't say I blame him. It's not like this place is too far from there," spoke Deidara.

"I guess I shouldn't be too surprised to hear they were upset about losing me. I should try and seek out the Raikage, and tell him that everything is okay. It would be for the best if we did that. I would hate for him to get upset and start up a conflict," replied Yugito.

"What kind of person is the Raikage?" asked Deidara.

"A bit of a hot head. He has a short temper, and has a tendency to break things when he gets mad. He went through desks like the typical ninja goes through kunai and shuriken," replied Yugito.

"I sure hope you know how to talk to him, hm," replied Deidara.

"You're not the only one," replied Yugito, "but enough about that, let's try to relax for a little while."

Yugito leaned against Deidara, and placed an arm around him. Deidara did the same, as the two relaxed for a few hours.

Later that night, the group made their way for their hotel rooms. Deidara and Yugito ran into Itachi on their way in. The Uchiha appeared to be annoyed with something. Deidara thought it would be best not to bother him about it until he had a chance to calm down, knowing full well how Itachi could be when he was angered. The group slept quietly that night, and gathered their things to leave the next morning.

"Ah, sleeping here was so much better than sleeping on the ground," spoke Yugito.

"I know, and the food here is much better than field rations, hm," replied Deidara.

"I suppose it's a good thing this place was between Ame and Kumo. I don't really get off on camping out, either," spoke Itachi.

"I didn't think you really cared about things like that. I've never heard you complain about anything before, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I don't make a habit of complaining. It's best to take action, rather than complain about something that is troubling me. I try to plan ahead and avoid things I know to be troublesome. Something Kisame seems to appreciate," replied Itachi.

"So that's why he treats with so much respect, is it?" asked Deidara.

"I don't bother him, he doesn't bother me. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and respect each other for it," replied Itachi.

"Is that it? I thought you two might be gay for each other, or something, hm," spoke Deidara.

"That's not me. Not that I don't think Kisame isn't handsome for a man, or anything, but I don't think of him like that. I've never found any interest in relationships with men. That, and it would be difficult to rebuild the clan if I was interested in men," replied Itachi.

"You have a point there," spoke Yugito.

"We should be on our way now. Kumo isn't too far from here. And as for you," spoke Itachi, while looking a man behind them, "Stay away from Amegakure, or you'll regret it."

"I know, I know. You be careful not to stir up Kumo," replied the man, as he walked off.

"Who was that?" asked Yugito.

"Jiraiya has been following us. He won't go near Kumo, though," replied Itachi.

"Makes sense. Let's go," spoke Deidara.

The group continued on their way to Kumogakure no Sato. They continued under a henge, making sure not to get the attention of any patrols around the village. They did encounter a couple of patrols, but were able to avoid detection. The village was at the top of a mountain range. They spent several hours making their way to where the village was located. Upon their arrival, Yugito took charge of the group.

"Alright, I have a plan for getting us in the village," spoke Yugito, while securing her hitai-ate.

"What is it?" asked Deidara.

"You two are going to be my prisoners. I'll act as if I had managed to escape, and took you two with me. It's the best way for us to get into the village without having to worry about dodging ninja," replied Yugito.

"An acceptable plan. Simple, but effective. I'll go along with it," spoke Itachi.

"Alright, I guess I'll go along with it, hm," replied Deidara.

Yugito bound the two Akatsuki in a way to make it seem as though they were tightly bound, even though they would be able to easily free themselves if needed. The group approached the village, and were immediately stopped by the guards.

"Who are you... wait... Nii Yugito?" asked one of the guards.

"Hai. I was captured by Akatsuki. Upon escaping, I was able to capture two members with the aid of a few of their prisoners. Unfortunately, the others were killed during our escape. I need to see Yuu-sama as soon as possible," replied Yugito.

"Very well. Go on ahead," replied the guard, "We'll send word of your arrival."

"_That was easy. They're not even checking her to see if she is really who she claims to be,"_ thought Deidara.

"_Something seems off about this,"_ thought Itachi.

Yugito escorted the group to the Raikage's tower. They were allowed into the tower, with a group of Kumo ANBU escorting the group.

"That is as far as you need to go. Remain outside," spoke Yugito.

The ANBU nodded in response, and allowed Yugito and her "prisoners" to enter the Raikage's office.

"Yuu-sama!" shouted Yugito.

"So, Yugito, you are indeed alive. It's good to see you again. I see you brought me two prisoners," replied Yuu.

"Hai, Uchiha Itachi, nukenin of Konoha, Deidara, nukenin of Iwa," spoke Yugito.

"Impressive. I didn't think you had it in you to capture two S-rank shinobi on your own," replied Yuu.

"_She couldn't. One of us maybe, but not the both of us,"_ thought Deidara. Five seconds later, Deidara was sent careening into the office wall. Itachi was quick to free himself and dodge Yuu's fist.

"I thought as much. I know Yugito is strong, but not that strong. You two seemed a little too calm for your own good," spoke Yuu, "Yugito, what is the meaning of this?"

"I've begun working out an alliance between Akatsuki and Kumo. They have no interest in bringing harm to our village," replied Yugito.

"Oh?" asked Yuu.

"She's right. We have no interest in Kumo," spoke Itachi.

"Then why did you come here at all?" asked Yuu.

"Kirabi. We need his bijuu for our plans to be achieved. We would much rather do so through peace, but we will use force if necessary," replied Itachi.

"Did you think I would hand him over? I'm not one to sell out to anyone," spoke Yuu.

"Kirabi will be unharmed. They can remove the bijuu without killing the jinchuuriki," replied Yugito.

"Is this so? Have they done this to you, or did they just say this to convince you to join them?" asked Yuu.

"Look at the seal," replied Yugito, while raising her top to reveal her stomach. An faded seal could be seen on her body.

"I see, so they have the nibi already," spoke Yuu.

"As you can see, I'm alive and well. They have no interest in our village. It would be better to be on their side, rather than against them," replied Yugito, "They could destroy this village if they wanted to."

"And you take action to protect your village? Admirable, as always. You do too much to put this village ahead of yourself," spoke Yuu, with tears of pride falling from his eyes.

"Yuu-sama," spoke Yugito.

"Yugito-san," replied Yuu, as the large man ran past Itachi to embrace Yugito.

"_His personality is like that of Maito Gai..."_ Itachi thought to himself, as he watched the scene.

Deidara, who had been knocked out by Yuu, began to stir. The first thing he saw was Yuu hugging Yugito.

"Get your hands off of her!!" shouted Deidara, as he charged forward, swinging his katana in the direction of Yuu. The man ducked, and grabbed Deidara's arm.

"You need this arm?" asked Yuu.

Deidara grunted as Yuu gripped his arm harder.

"He's a little jealous, don't mind him," spoke Yugito, "Deidara, if I'm good friends with Kirabi, it would make sense that I would be on good terms with his brother, right?"

"Eh? Oh, right, hm. Could you let go now?" asked Deidara.

"This is the only time I'll forgive you. Do that again, and I'll break you in two," replied Yuu, as he let Deidara go.

"_Damn, that hurt. He's like Leader-sama,"_ thought Deidara.

"So, you guys want the hachibi out of Kirabi, and you have no intention of using the bijuu against us, right?" asked Yuu.

"Hai. We also have a rough alliance with Konoha," replied Itachi.

"I'm not going to just give him up to you. I'll let you take him, but only if you can. He's training in the Unraikyou. Have fun. Oh, and Yugito, I'm not burying them," spoke Yuu.

"_Either he is underestimating our abilities, or has a very high level of confidence in his brother's abilities. If his brother is as strong as he suggests, I may finally find myself with a challenge,"_ thought Itachi.

"Where is the Unraikyou?" asked Deidara.

"I know where it is. Kirabi trains there all the time. Its his preferred training ground. I'll lead the way," replied Yugito, "Arigatou, Yuu-sama."

"Heh heh, you won't be thanking me when you're burying your boyfriend. Be careful not to get on his bad side, Neko-san," replied Yuu.

Yugito gave a cat like smile, and led the two Akatsuki members out of the Raikage's tower.

"That brother of mine could use a little reality check. Let's see what these two can do," muttered the Raikage, and he opened a case with the kanji 眼 _(eyeball)_ on it. The case held a crystal ball within.

It took a half hour for the group to reach the Unraikyou. The ground was shaking in the area of the region, and crashing sounds could be heard coming from a cave.

"Is that him?" asked Deidara.

"More than likely. His training methods are rather harsh. That's why he prefers to train alone. I tried training with him once before. We thought it would be okay, since we're both jinchuuriki. I was almost killed that day," replied Yugito.

"He almost killed you, hm?" asked Deidara.

"He wasn't trying to. A lot of our training is focused on harnessing the power of our bijuu. We tried to test our jutsu against one another, and it backfired badly. The nibi kept me from dying. From that day onward, Kirabi decided to train alone," replied Yugito.

"It would make sense he is strong. He does hold the second strongest of the bijuu," spoke Itachi.

"Should we go in?" asked Deidara.

"It would be best to wait for him to finish. He doesn't take kindly to being interrupted from his training," replied Yugito.

"Very well. We have time," replied Itachi.

"I suppose," spoke Deidara.

The three waited for over an hour for Kirabi to emerge from the cave. As soon as the shaking and crashing ceased, Deidara and Itachi stood at the ready. A large man bearing a Kumo hitai-ate and sunglasses emerged from the cave.

"Who are you... wait... Akatsuki! The one's who killed Neko-chan!?" shouted Kirabi.

"Hey Ushi-kun!" shouted Yugito.

"Am I seeing things, hearing things? Are you there Yugi, with Akatsuki?" asked Kirabi.

"It's me. It's been quite the journey, but I'm alive and well, thanks to Dei-kun," replied Yugito, while throwing her arms over Deidara to emphasize her point.

"Dei-kun? You chose this one? He doesn't look special to me," spoke Kirabi.

"I hated him at first. He acted like a big pervert looking for someone to sleep with. I finally warmed up to him, though," replied Yugito.

"Oh, is that so? Well, enough with your boyfriend, come hug your best friend!" shouted Kirabi.

Yugito ran over to hug her brother figure. Kirabi appeared to be crying the same way the Raikage was when he hugged Yugito.

"_They're definitely siblings, alright,"_ Deidara thought to himself.

"I'm glad to see you here, but what brings you so near?" asked Kirabi.

"Well..." muttered Yugito.

"Well?" asked Kirabi.

"We're here to take your beast," spoke Itachi.

"You two want eight-o? All I can say is no way-o," replied Kirabi.

"I won't ask you to go with them, but try not to kill them, okay?" asked Yugito.

"These two want to fight? That's just not right. It's not really fair, not that I care," replied Kirabi.

"You can stop the rhyming now, it's getting a little annoying," spoke Yugito.

"I can agree with that," spoke Itachi.

"You don't like my rhyme? Ah, what a crime. But if that's how you want it, that's how I'll do it," replied Kirabi.

"Arigatou. Now then, Yuu-sama said that these two can take your beast, but only if they can beat you. That sounds fair, right?" asked Yugito.

"Won't that kill me? I like living, you know," replied Kirabi.

"I'm alive, and they were able to get nibi, see," spoke Yugito, while pulling up her shirt to show the faded seal.

"Alright, I'll go along with this fight. If you win, I'll go. If you lose, don't say you weren't warned, because I won't go easy on you," spoke Kirabi.

"_You hear that Eight-o? We can't let these two win,"_ spoke Kirabi to the Hachibi.

"_I'm not about to be yanked out of here like some prize. We'll win,"_ replied the Hachibi.

"You best stay back, Neko-chan," replied Kirabi.

"Alright, Itachi, let's get this started, hm!" shouted Deidara.

Itachi took note of the katana Kirabi had, and pulled out the katana Ookami had given to him. He channeled his chakra into the blade, causing it to glow red with fire chakra.

"Oh, a special sword? This should be fun," spoke Kirabi, as he drew all of his swords, and took his unique seven sword stance.

"Seven on one? We should make this a little more fair, hm," spoke Deidara, as he drew the katana Ookami gave to him, and channeled his chakra into it, causing it to harden like steel and burst into flame.

"You both have interesting weapons. Alright, let's see what you can do," spoke Kirabi. Itachi and Deidara advanced towards Kirabi, with Deidara taking a more aggressive stance. Deidara took a swing at Kirabi, only to miss as Kirabi began to spin. Itachi and Deidara both began to attack Kirabi. The Kumo-nin began spinning at high speed. His movement at first appeared to be fairly predictable, leaving Itachi feeling somewhat at ease, hoping to catch all of Kirabi's movements with his Sharingan. However, Itachi quickly realized Kirabi's moves weren't as predictable as he thought they would be initially. Itachi was barely able to block a strike that would have severed his head. Deidara was having trouble with keeping up with Kirabi. The Iwa-nin was hoping he would have a descent chance at winning in a kenjutsu duel with Itachi backing him up. He soon realized Kirabi's skill with the sword was much higher than the two anticipated. Deidara's bangs were trimmed by a strike that almost separated his head from his body. Deidara's scope was cracked from the force of Kirabi's blade passing too close. Deidara backed off to remove his scope before rejoining the fight. Itachi received a cut to his face as he continued to fight off Kirabi's strikes. Itachi realized he was losing ground fast. Even with his Sharingan, Itachi realized there was too much variation in Kirabi's attacks for him to be able to trace it. Itachi felt he finally hit a break when he knocked one of Kirabi's blades away, and stepped up on his attacks as the sword spun through the air. Kirabi spun through the air and managed to catch the sword, while dodging a swing from Itachi that would have removed his arm. Kirabi struck a forceful blow down upon Itachi and Deidara, forcing the two of them to back up. The two were forced to separate from one another. Deeming Itachi to be the bigger threat between the two Akatsuki members, Kirabi focused his strikes at Itachi, attempting to push him away from Deidara. Itachi realized what Kirabi was planning, and attempted to hold his ground. Itachi worked his katana as fast as he could, only to find he was still unable to gain any ground against Kirabi. Itachi attempted to push Kirabi back, only to have his cloak shredded by Kirabi's fast paced attacks. Itachi backed off slightly, noticing Deidara had made one of his bombs, and sent it flying towards Kirabi. Kirabi refused to allow Itachi any breathing room, and continued advancing towards the Uchiha, while appearing not to notice the explosive heading his way. When the small bird got close to Kirabi, a chakra charged katana attacked it. Deidara smiled when Kirabi missed and attempted to detonate it, only to see his little bird crumble.

"What happened!?" shouted Deidara. The Iwa-nin sent another round of explosives at Kirabi, hoping to defeat him with numbers. Kirabi continued to put his focus on Itachi, drawing blood across Itachi's left arm. Through his injuries, Itachi continued to maintain his stance, and ignored the pain he felt running through his body. Kirabi landed strike after strike. While most strikes didn't even hit deep enough to draw blood, Itachi felt each one. At that point, he noticed that Kirabi kept his katana charged with chakra. Itachi felt a slight numbing sensation upon each hit of Kirabi's weapons.

"_Raiton no Jutsu? This isn't good. Deidara's earth based explosives will have no effect against Raiton no Jutsu,"_ thought Itachi, as he tilted his head to avoid decapitation. Kirabi swung his weapons around at the incoming explosives, disabling all of them before they could bring harm to Kirabi.

"Damn it! My art won't work against him!!" shouted Deidara, out of frustration. The Iwa-nin knew he wouldn't be unable to do anything up close against Kirabi. It was then that Deidara noticed the nearby bodies of water.

"I wonder..." muttered Deidara, as he sped towards the water.

"_Must have given up. Leaving his partner to die, he doesn't seem to have much respect,"_ thought Kirabi.

"_What is he doing?"_ Itachi thought to himself, as he saw Deidara appear to flee. When Deidara stopped and placed his hands in the water, Itachi smiled to himself, and stepped up his attacks. Deidara approached Kirabi, and pointed his hands towards Kirabi. Fully aware of what Deidara was planning, Itachi did a quick shunshin to distance himself from Kirabi. Before Kirabi could pursue Itachi, he noticed a surge of chakra coming from Deidara.

"Katon: Kaenhoushaki!" shouted Deidara, as twin streams of fire erupted from the mouths of his hands and sped towards Kirabi. The jinchuuriki began to spin rapidly, fast enough to deflect the flame coming towards him. Deidara could only watch as his artful flames were caught up in the dance. Deidara was mesmerized by the way the flames moved, until Kirabi was about to charge after Deidara. Deidara could only smile.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" shouted Itachi from behind Kirabi. The Kumo-nin was forced to evade the large fireball that approached him. Kirabi was met with several explosives as he leaped into the air. Deidara detonated them before Kirabi could react, sending him careening towards the ground. Itachi headed towards where Kirabi was about to fall. Kirabi shifted his momentum by using a chakra charge from one of his katana. More clay birds approached Kirabi. This time, the Kumo-nin slashed through them. He realized too late that the smaller explosives were a distraction for the larger ones approaching from behind. Kirabi was able to take out most of them, but was knocked away by the few he missed. Itachi leaped into the air, and knocked away Kirabi's katana, before delivering a slash across Kirabi's chest. Kirabi was able to prevent being injured heavily with the katana he held onto. Kirabi landed on his feet, and stared down the two Akatsuki before him.

"Well, I'll be, you two can handle Kirabi," spoke the Kumo-nin.

"_He's rhyming again..." _Deidara thought to himself.

"I should write that one down..." muttered Kirabi, as he pulled out a small pad and a pen.

"_You do remember that you're trying to fight two S-Class nukenin, right!?"_ shouted the Hachibi.

"_Hold on, Eight-o, I have to write it down before I forget,"_ replied Kirabi.

"Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!" shouted Itachi, sending a barrage of fireballs in the direction of Kirabi. The Kumo-nin continued to write down the lines that came to his mind. Kirabi caught on to what was going on, and avoided the fiery projectiles. His notepad didn't survive the assault, however.

"Shit! I haven't put those in my collection yet!!" shouted Kirabi.

"Pay attention," spoke Itachi.

"You... bastards!! Okay, you want my attention, you got it," replied Kirabi, sounding increasingly animalistic as he continued to speak. A chakra field erupted from Kirabi's body, and began to surround him.

"He's changing!" shouted Deidara, as the form of the Hachibi no Ushi-oni appeared in the chakra form. It began to solidify and increase in size until the full form of the bijuu stood before the two Akatsuki members.

"You really shouldn't have done that. He gets rather irritated when someone disrupts his writing!" shouted Yugito.

"Didn't notice..." muttered Itachi.

"It's about time he let me out!! You two are as good as dead!!" shouted the hachibi. The beast began to charge chakra at its mouth. A black ball of chakra with lightning crackling along the surface formed at the mouth of the bijuu.

"Itachi!" shouted Deidara.

"Hm?" replied the Uchiha, remaining calm in the face of the beast before him.

"Duck and cover!" shouted Deidara, as he made one of birds, and picked up both Itachi and Yugito to try and get out of the range of the bijuu's attack.

"Die!!" shouted the hachibi.

The sphere of chakra burst into a powerful wave of lightning chakra. The surrounding area was leveled as the chakra waves tore everything apart. Deidara's bird was also caught in the blast, sending the three riding on top of it crashing towards the ground. After the smoke cleared, the landscape emerged heavily scared. The pair of Akatsuki and Yugito were scratched up, but managed to survive.

"_Hey, you could have hit Neko-chan!!"_ shouted Kirabi.

"_Relax, I knew they would be able to avoid that. I did it to let them know I was serious. I'm sure she gets that, so calm down. Besides, Nibi would never forgive me if I let anything happen to her 'koneko' _(kitten)_," _explained the Hachibi.

"_As long as you know what you're doing, Eight-o,"_ replied Kirabi.

"_Between the two of us, I'm usually the only one who knows what I'm doing,"_ spoke the hachibi.

"_Hey, I go spur of the moment, don't be hat'n,"_ replied Kirabi.

"_I know, I know. Since your way of doing things has yet to get us killed, by some miracle, I've learned to respect your methods. Now, quiet down, so I can focus on my target,"_ spoke the hachibi.

"He did know you were here, right?" asked Deidara.

"Yeah, he knew. He was just letting you two know he was serious," replied Yugito.

"Hm?" asked Deidara.

"He could have hit us with that, but he didn't. He missed on purpose so we would be able to avoid it," spoke Itachi.

"I figured you would notice. See, Dei-kun, he wouldn't hurt me," replied Yugito.

"Fair enough... so what are we going to do, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Overwhelm him. I know what to do, but you need to keep him occupied," replied Itachi.

"Alright, I can do that. You better have something good planned, though, hm," spoke Deidara, as he made another bird, and took to the skies.

"What did you have in mind?" asked Yugito.

"Something special. You should probably get back; I'm not in the mood to deal with Deidara if something happens to you," replied Itachi.

"Oh... okay then," spoke Yugito, as she gave Itachi some space.

Deidara took up high to the skies, and started making explosive after explosive. He made sure to make his bombs as strong as he could. The hachibi used its lightning chakra to disable most of the bombs. The Iwa-nin found himself dodging several bolts of lightning. Deidara knew full well that if one hit his bird, he would become vulnerable as the bird crashed to the ground.

"_I can't use C-3 against this guy. He would notice it, and disarm it before I could use it. C-2 is the best I can do... bothersome bijuu, this is the worst opponent I could have drawn," _Deidara thought to himself, as he continued his attack.

"I'll swat you like a fly!" shouted the hachibi, as he began swinging his tentacles at Deidara. The Iwa-nin continued to evade, barely avoiding the lightning chakra bursts as a massive tentacle almost smashed Deidara into the ground. The hachibi took notice of Itachi's absence. He knew Itachi wasn't severely injured from his opening attack. He began to conclude that the Uchiha could only go one on one with a smaller scale opponent, while Deidara was intended to take on large scale targets.

"_That must be it, one for you, one for me. The Sharingan user will likely keep out of the picture,"_ thought the hachibi.

"_Makes sense to me, but keep in mind he was attacking me before, albeit without as much success as the Uchiha,"_ replied Kirabi.

"_If I see him, I'll crush him... damn, as small as these things are, they still hurt when they go off too close," _spoke the Hachibi.

"_Itachi, I can't do this forever! I'm starting to run low on clay, him," _thought Deidara, as he continued bombarding the hachibi. At the moment, the Uchiha emerged from the place he was hiding.

"About time you showed yourself! Show's over for you!" shouted the hachibi.

"I'm afraid not. Deidara, get out of the way!!" shouted Itachi.

"Eh?" muttered Deidara, as he noticed Itachi had activated his Mangekyou Sharingan.

"Oh Hell..." muttered Deidara, as he quickly got out of the way.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted the hachibi, as he tired to pull Deidara back. The Iwa-nin was able to get clear of the hachibi's reach.

"Amaterasu!!" shouted Itachi. Itachi's right eye began to become engorged in blood to the point where blood spilled out of his tear ducts. Black flames began to emerge from the form of the Hachibi. The bijuu roared out in pain as the black flames ripped across its body. Itachi continued to monitor the bijuu, watching as it form was eaten away by the Amaterasu. At the point where Kirabi's body reemerged, Itachi pulled out a scroll. The Uchiha began making a seal on the scroll, and performed several hand seals.

"Fuuka Houin!" shouted Itachi.

The flames of Itachi's attack were pulled off of Kirabi, and placed into the scroll. After the last of the flames died down, Itachi closed the scroll, and placed it back in his cloak. Kirabi's body appeared, looking as though he were burnt badly. Itachi fell to the ground afterward.

"That's Itachi for you, hm," spoke Deidara, as he observed what was taking place from above. At that moment, Deidara noticed there was something off about what was going on.

"Itachi, behind you!!" shouted Deidara, as Kirabi emerged from the ground behind, and prepared to jamb a katana through Itachi's body. The Uchiha turned around quickly, and delivered a crushing blow to Kirabi's face, knocking him down onto the ground. Itachi stood above Kirabi, panting from the strain of his jutsu. Itachi's fist was smoking, as was Kirabi's face.

"What the Hell was that?" asked Kirabi.

"A variation of Kaken no Jutsu, a taijutsu style developed by Akatsuki member Ookami," replied Itachi.

"Damn..." muttered Kirabi, as he fell unconscious. The burned body behind Itachi turned into a burnt tentacle.

"How did you know he was there?" asked Deidara, as he landed besides Itachi.

"I saw some chakra charge into the ground. I figured it was him," replied Itachi.

"Makes sense, hm," replied Deidara.

Itachi dropped to the ground, clearly out of breath.

"You okay?" asked Deidara.

"Amaterasu takes a lot of chakra to perform.

"Why did you seal those flames if you knew Kirabi escaped?" asked Yugito.

"Those flames will burn for seven days and seven nights if they are not dealt with. Not water could ever put them out. Sealing is the only way. And I had to make it convincing, after all, or I wouldn't have been able to catch him off guard," explained Itachi.

"Oh, that makes sense," replied Yugito.

"About time you finished," came a voice from the ground.

"Zetsu?" asked Deidara.

The plant-nin emerged from the ground, looking over the sight before him.

"Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye out for bijuu?" asked Deidara.

"What bijuu? There's that one and the blond kid," spoke Zetsu's white side.

"That fucking brat was giving me a headache!" shouted Zetsu's black side.

"Leader-sama wishes for you to bring in the kyuubi jinchuuriki," spoke Zetsu's white side.

"What are we going to do with him? Carry him with us, hm," asked Deidara.

"I'll take him, it'll give me an excuse to avoid the damn kyuubi brat," spoke Zetsu's black side.

"Do try to calm down. This will be an easy task," replied Zetsu's white side, as Zetsu took Kirabi, and made his way for the nearest Akatsuki base.

"Wait a moment, I thought Ookami was going to get him?" asked Deidara.

"He's already in Konoha," spoke Zetsu's white side.

"He's with that tasty kunoichi. Ja ne," replied Zetsu's black side.

"Of course. Well, that makes things easy. Let's go, Itachi, Yugito-chan, hm," spoke Deidara.

The pair nodded an headed off.

"_Damn it, I ended up losing to the Uchiha no Kyuuban Panchi _(Uchiha Sucker Punch)_,"_ thought the Hachibi, as Zetsu dragged Kirabi away.

"Hah! He lost to the Uchiha no Kyuuban Panchi. I'm using this for blackmail later!" shouted the Raikage, as he finished watching the fight through his crystal ball.

"He would be on 'vacation' when we need him for something, hm," spoke Deidara.

"If he's already there, he can keep an eye on our target, in case he happens to 'disappear' before our arrival. Rumors of our capture of the hachibi will be sure to spread fast, even if the Raikage doesn't appear to have a problem with it," replied Itachi.

"You have a point. We should get on our way, before Leader-sama gets impatient," spoke Deidara.

"That, and I want to see my Kira-kun as soon as possible... to make fun of him for losing to the Uchiha no Kyuuban Panchi," spoke Yugito.

"I wouldn't make fun of that guy if I were you, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I wouldn't either, if I were you. He would just laugh with me if I did it. If you did it, you would be flying over the top of the Raikage's tower," replied Yugito.

"Let's get going. I don't feel like wasting any time," spoke Itachi.

"In a hurry to go to Konoha?" asked Deidara.

"No... we're going to stop at Yugakure before that," replied Itachi.

"You that worn out?" asked Deidara.

Itachi didn't have a response.

"Hey, I'm not in a rush to deal with that loud mouthed brat, either, hm," replied Deidara.

"Then we have an understanding. Let's go," spoke Itachi.

"I didn't think he was that bad," spoke Yugito.

"You didn't have to hear him run in screaming about to kill you, or see that spandex clad freak of nature burst in after him, hm," replied Deidara.

"When was this?" asked Yugito.

"It was before Hidan and Kakuzu captured you. Took place during our capture of the ichibi jinchuuriki, Sabaku no Gaara, hm," replied Deidara.

"I see," spoke Yugito.

"Well, anyways, I sure am looking forward to a nice, relaxing night in the hot springs again," spoke Deidara..

The group made their way for Yugakure, and had a peaceful night of relaxation. Deidara was a little on edge while the group was making their way out of Kaminari no Kuni, expecting some kind of shinobi force to jump the group and demand the return of the hachibi jinchuuriki, but none came. Deidara and Itachi relaxed like they never had before.

_A/N: I know this isn't the chapter I promised. Actually, the original chapter was too long, so I broke it into two separate chapters. Hope you all enjoyed, don't forget to review!_


	15. Victory

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; if I did, Naruto would still be a powerless idiot_

**Chapter 15: Victory**

After a relaxing night at the hot springs of Yugakure, the group made their way for Konoha. The group was expecting to see Jiraiya again, but there was no sign of the old pervert. The group used a henge as they made their way towards Konoha, just to be safe. They sneaked into Konoha, and went through the village looking for any sign of Naruto, Hinata, and Ookami.

"Too bad we can't just call that plant freak out to tell us where they are," spoke Yugito.

"Be careful what you say about Zetsu, you can never be sure of when he'll be around, hm. He didn't become our spy on Leader-sama's whim," replied Deidara.

"Alright, I'll keep my insults of the plant-nin to a minimum. So, do you know where our targets are?" asked Yugito.

"I have a good idea of where to start looking, hm. You remember where the Hyuga compound is?" asked Deidara, being careful to avoid mentioning Itachi's name while in Konohagakure.

"I do. Let's go," replied Itachi.

The group made their way for the Hyuga compound. By the time they had made it there, the sun was setting fast. Sure enough, as they arrived, they noticed Ookami landing to drop off the Hyuga Heiress. Or so they thought, until Hyuga Hiashi allowed the Akatsuki-nin entry.

"You have got to be shitting me... he's just letting an S-rank nukenin into his home like it's no big deal!?" shouted Deidara.

"Keep your voice down," spoke Itachi.

"Hai, hai, hm. Still, though, that would be suicide for him, wouldn't it?" asked Deidara.

"Ookami is dating his daughter. It would not do Ookami well to kill his lover's father," replied Itachi, "Trust me, I know this from experience."

"Eh?" asked Ookami.

Itachi pulled up his shirt to reveal some scars he had on his body.

"None of these came from battle. All from this kunoichi I dated. Her father got in my way, so I killed him. She didn't seem to like him too much, so I didn't think she was care. These scars prove how wrong I was. Too bad she was set to bare one of my children before I left," explained Itachi.

"Really?" asked Deidara.

"Actually, she had twins, last I heard. They'll want to know who their father is one day," replied Itachi.

"Anything else you want to share with us about your experience?" asked Yugito, with a sarcastic tone.

"You should duck," spoke Itachi.

Deidara pulled Yugito down below a Fuuma Shuriken that came screaming through the air. Itachi ducked under, and shot his arm up, catching the weapon through the hole in the center.

"Ah, Kiyomi, nice to see you again," spoke Itachi, in a calm tone.

"I swear, I don't know whether to kill you or hug you!!" shouted Kiyomi.

"That's what you said the day you did this to me," spoke Itachi, while pointing towards his body.

"You said you liked it rough. Maybe I was too rough for you?" asked Kiyomi.

"Perhaps. How are Kuromi and Akemi?" asked Itachi.

"They just finished their dinner. I thought you wouldn't be back for another seven years? It's death for you to enter this village, you know?" asked Kiyomi.

"Here to get the kyuubi jinchuuriki, and collect our other member," replied Itachi.

"Of course. Well, fine then. You should still meet your daughters," spoke Kiyomi.

"Wait, I thought you hated him, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Yeah! That wasn't exactly a lover's welcome you gave him!" shouted Yugito.

"Oh, that? I was just playing with him, really," spoke Kiyomi, "He knew that."

"I might have told a different version of how I got these scars than the truth. I didn't want to corrupt your minds with the real story," replied Itachi.

"All things considered, I think that would be for the best," spoke Yugito.

"I'm with her, hm," replied Deidara.

"Well, I guess I might as well let you in," spoke Kiyomi, as she stepped forward. She had long platinum blond and the Byakugan. Her skin was pale white, to the point of making her robe stand out. Her bust was around average. She was slender and about the same height as Itachi.

"Come, Itachi. Oh, and drop the Henge. I told everyone, so there's no point in hiding it. Now come, before the ANBU decide to have a word with you," spoke Kiyomi.

"You two are coming, too, right?" asked Itachi.

The two blonds nodded, and followed Kiyomi into the Hyuga home.

"You're friend is over there. Itachi is coming with me," spoke Kiyomi, as she pointed towards the room Hinata, Ookami, Hanabi, and Hiashi were dining in. The two blonds walked off, careful not to upset any of the servants walking around.

"They're over here," spoke Kiyomi.

Itachi followed. It had been a while since Itachi was as nervous as he was, but he knew he would have to face this eventually, if he was to restore the clan as he wished. He saw two young girls sitting together, looking like they were busy drawing something. One girl had dark hair and black eyes. Her skin was as pale as her mother's. Itachi knew her to be Kuromi. The other girl had long red hair, but had the Byakugan. Her skin was a darker tone, more like her father's. Itachi knew her to be Akemi.

"Kuromi, Akemi. There is someone I would like to introduce to you," spoke Kiyomi.

"Who is that, kaa-san?" asked Kuromi.

"Your father," replied Kiyomi.

"Tou-san?" asked the girls in unison.

Itachi felt a lump in his throat.

"Tou-san!!" shouted the girls, as they ran up, and gave their father a hug.

"_What have I gotten myself into,"_ thought Itachi.

"_You better be kind to them, Itachi-kun,"_ thought Kiyomi.

"Hey, Ookami," spoke Deidara.

"Eh? Deidara? Yugito? What are you guys doing here?" asked Ookami.

"We're here to pick up you and a certain blond, hm," replied Deidara.

"You mean Uzumaki?" asked Ookami.

"He would be the one," replied Deidara.

"Okay, but we should wait until tomorrow. Its a little late to be abducting people," spoke Ookami.

"But this would be the perfect time; Naruto is such a heavy sleeper," spoke Hinata.

"Eh, you have a point there. I guess we could go after him now," spoke Ookami.

"We can wait. It's not like Leader-sama is going to rip our arms out of our sockets over half a day, right, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Uh... right...." replied Ookami, "So, were you guys able to get the hachibi?"

"Of course. He gave us a little trouble, but we were able to defeat the jinchuuriki. Zetsu took him to one of our bases," replied Deidara.

"Zetsu did? Then where is Itachi? Did he go back?" asked Ookami.

"Itachi is meeting... his family," replied Deidara.

"His family?" asked Ookami, "I thought he killed off his family, except for that Sasuke brat."

"He has two children by Hyuga Kiyomi, a member of our main house," spoke Hiashi.

"Eh? Are you serious, Hiashi-san?" asked Ookami.

"You should know by now that I don't joke about such things," replied the Hyuga Clan head.

"He knows how to pick them, doesn't he?" asked Ookami.

Deidara nodded.

"I wonder how many more children Itachi has out there?" asked Ookami.

"I wouldn't know, hm," replied Deidara.

"Yeah, about that," spoke Itachi, as he entered the room, with Akemi and Kuromi holding onto his legs.

"What? You know how many children you have?" asked Ookami.

"Two," replied Itachi.

"Oh, okay... huh?" spoke Ookami.

"Two..." muttered Deidara.

"Just two... muttered Yugito.

"I guess there's not much point in hiding it any longer. Out of all the members, you, Deidara and Ookami, are probably about as close as I have to a friend. Kisame, too. I guess I can tell you. All those nights when I bring home women... it was merely an act. An attempt at living out a life I can never have," explained Itachi.

"But you... do things... with those women," spoke Ookami, careful to mind his language around the children.

"That's Kisame with a henge," replied Itachi.

"Then why is Kisame out with us?" asked Deidara.

"That's me under a henge," replied Itachi.

"Oh... you two change places... wait... eww..." muttered Ookami.

"Do any of those women ever find out it's not you?" asked Deidara.

"Some do, but most don't care. Apparently Kisame is 'gifted,'" replied Itachi.

"What do you mean by gifted?" asked Kuromi.

"He has... a way with women... a way that makes them really happy," replied Itachi.

"Okay," replied Kuromi.

"Well, now that Kisame has Nana, that should stop, right?" asked Ookami.

"Not quite... those two have... interesting ideas on what to do together," replied Itachi.

"What kinds of ideas?" asked Akemi.

"They like to spend time with a lot of other people behind closed doors, for fun," replied Itachi.

"That would be kind of fun! We should do that!" shouted Akemi.

Deidara started to chuckle, as did Ookami. Yugito and Hinata blushed. Hiashi grunted.

"I think it's getting close for you two to go to bed," spoke Kiyomi, as she entered the room.

"_Thank you, Kiyomi," _thought Itachi.

Kiyomi took the two young girls to their bedroom, giving Itachi some time to adjust.

"So, I take it you're not really all that serious about reviving the clan?" asked Ookami.

"Kiyomi and I may have more children one day, but I'm not about to go procreate with the first woman I see. I would never cheat on my fiance, after all," replied Itachi.

"Your fiance!?" shouted Yugito, Deidara, and Ookami at the same time.

"Is that so surprising?" asked Itachi.

"Let me think... yes!" shouted Ookami.

"You just got finished telling us this was the only person to ever scar you, and now you're telling us you're going to marry her, hm?" asked Deidara.

"She's the kind of woman I like," replied Itachi.

"It's a good thing she wasn't a Uchiha, you might have had to kill her," spoke Ookami.

"My ex was. I didn't mind killing her off. Even if Kiyomi was a Uchiha, I would have sparred her. I love her more than I do my bothersome otouto," replied Itachi.

"I don't doubt it. You should have knocked off that emo-brat," spoke Ookami.

"He wasn't emo at the time. That, and I needed to be sure there would be someone capable of reviving the clan other than me, should something ever happen to me," replied Itachi.

"Makes sense to me, hm," spoke Deidara.

"So... when did you plan on getting married?" asked Yugito.

"We don't know. We had always wanted the ceremony to be conducted by the old man, but Orochimaru ruined that for us," spoke Itachi.

"Old man?" asked Ookami.

"The Sandaime Hokage," replied Itachi.

"Oh, I remember him from the chuunin exams. He seemed to be a rather interesting person. Well, you could always get Hidan to do it, like Leader-sama," spoke Ookami.

"I suppose," replied Itachi, "For the time being, I want to give my children a chance to grow a little here, before joining up with us. I had planned on waiting until after Akatsuki achieved its goals," replied Itachi.

"That would be wise; there are too many people after you guys who would try to use your daughters against you," spoke Yugito.

"Correct. Now that we are almost finished, it shouldn't be much of an issue," replied Itachi.

"Wait a second, I just realized something, hm," spoke Deidara.

"What would that be?" asked Itachi.

"How were you going to get the Hokage to conduct your marriage when you are a nukenin?" asked Deidara.

"Um... well..." stuttered Itachi.

"What, old man tell you to kill your clan and join Akatsuki, or something?" asked Ookami in a sarcastic tone. Itachi didn't say anything.

"You can't be serious, hm," spoke Deidara.

Itachi nodded.

"That's disturbing... really disturbing... I need a beer... badly..." muttered Ookami.

"Normally, I would say not in my house... but I'll make an exception," spoke Hiashi.

"Great, you lead the way to beer heaven," spoke Ookami.

"I'm joining you, hm," spoke Deidara.

"As am I," spoke Yugito.

"It's not like I volunteered," spoke Itachi.

"I bet. You're crazy enough to do it," spoke Ookami.

"Crazy? Maybe a little," replied Itachi.

"So, yeah... beer..." muttered Ookami.

Hiashi led the beer needing members of Akatsuki away, leaving Itachi alone with Hinata and Hanabi.

"So, you're going to marry into our clan?" asked Hinata.

"I suppose that's one way of looking at it," replied Itachi.

"I'm joining Ookami and the others," spoke Hinata, as she left.

"Are you going to join them, too?" asked Itachi.

"No, I find this whole thing rather amusing. I don't know why it bothers them so much," replied Hanabi.

"You don't know me as well as they do," replied Itachi.

"I guess that would have something to do with it. All I know about you are through stories. You don't seem to be so bad from Kiyomi-sama's stories of you, so I try to disregard the stories the villagers tell about you. How could a man who produced such cute lovely daughters be that bad?" asked Hanabi.

"You're a little naïve if you would think me to be gentle," spoke Itachi.

"I should rephrase what I said. I disregard the villagers in regard to your personality. I don't doubt your abilities in the slightest, nor do I discount the fact that you did kill off the members of your clan. I just figure there was a good reason. Looks like I was right," replied Hanabi.

"You should know what I told you wan an SS-class secret of the village. No one else is to know under any circumstances, under penalty of death. A genin is never trusted with such secrets. Consider your knowledge a privilege," spoke Itachi.

"I know, I know. I'm not stupid. This may surprise you, but I have a lot of things I have to keep to myself. How much of course, is none of your business. Just know that those of the main family have much we don't wish others to know," replied Hanabi.

"Of course, not that I don't have some idea of what those secrets are. And not because someone told me," spoke Itachi.

"Geez... you're more cold than I thought you would be," replied Hanabi.

"You should listen more carefully to Kiyomi-chan," spoke Itachi.

"She listens well, Itachi-kun," spoke Kiyomi, as she entered the room.

"Oh, Kiyomi, I almost didn't notice you," spoke Itachi.

"Almost? I suppose I can't surprise you. Even in your sleep, I could tell you were alert. I suppose being a nukenin will do that to you," replied Kiyomi.

"I was like that since I joined ANBU. A skill that became rather useful as a nukenin," spoke Itachi.

"That makes sense to me. No one can sneak up to an ANBU, except for maybe another ANBU," spoke Hanabi.

"I suppose so," replied Kiyomi.

The two Hyuga women and Itachi sat down in silence for a little while, waiting for the return of the others. After an hour, they decided to go search for them. Kiyomi had a good idea of where Hiashi kept his alcohol. The group was in a nearby room. The room was full of drunken shinobi. Deidara and Hiashi were hugging each other like they Gai and Lee. Yugito was laughing between making drunk advances towards Deidara. Ookami was the only sober person in the room. He kept gently pushing Hinata off of him as she was making repeated sexual advances towards him.

"Oh, hey guys... uh... I think we got a little carried away... Hinata, maybe later... yeah, uh... help?" asked Ookami.

"I'll get the camera," spoke Kiyomi.

"I can use my genjutsu to knock out them, but your on your own for her," spoke Itachi, while pointing at Hinata.

"That's fine, just do it," replied Ookami.

"After Kiyomi has her fun," spoke Itachi.

Ookami rolled his eyes as he was caught in another hug from Hinata. Ookami turned her around, and carried her bridal style to a nearby chair. He lay her on his lap, hoping the Hyuga would pass out on her own. Kiyomi brought in the camera to capture the Hyuga Clan head acting out of character. After she had her fun, Itachi used his genjutsu to knock out everyone, leaving Ookami to deal with Hinata.

"I love... love you so much... Oo-Ookami-kun," spoke Hinata.

"I love you, too, Hinata-chan, but we promised to wait, okay?" replied Ookami.

"Don't you love me?" asked Hinata.

"Of course, that's why I'm here, after all. Don't worry. The day will come, and you'll be glad we waited, now, you should go to sleep. It is rather late," replied Ookami.

"Oh... okay... I am... tired..." muttered Hinata, as she drifted off to sleep.

"That's why I like having you as my future brother in law," spoke Hanabi.

"Yeah, and you would make a cute sister in law," replied Ookami.

"Now you're teasing me," spoke Hanabi, as she blushed a little.

"Well, I guess we'll drag off the others. As I said before, she's your problem," spoke Itachi.

"I don't think of her as a problem in the slightest, you know. Hopefully Hiashi-sama won't mind if I share her room tonight. See you in the morning," spoke Ookami, as he took Hinata off to her room.

"He's lucky he met Hiashi-sama early on. He would be dead right now otherwise," spoke Kiyomi.

"I don't doubt it, from what I've heard about him," replied Itachi.

"Tou-san isn't one to be messed with. I don't know how Ookami did it, but he did. Anyways, goodnight you two," spoke Hanabi, as she headed for her room.

"Well, we should get to bed, too. Come, Itachi-kun," spoke Kiyomi, in a rather seductive tone. Itachi formed a small grin, and followed along.

The next morning, Deidara and Yugito found themselves with a bit of a hangover. Hiashi and Hinata were better off. Hinata was a little surprised to see Ookami in her bed.

"Ookami-kun... what happened last night?" asked Hinata, as she looked at Ookami's body.

"Nothing you would be ashamed of. I made sure of that," replied Ookami, with a smile. Hinata returned his smile, until she realized something.

"How did I get undressed? And why are you undressed?" asked Hinata.

"You took care of yourself... and you weren't happy until I followed suit. Then I had to push you off a little more, until you got too tired to continue, and fell asleep," replied Ookami.

"Oh..." spoke Hinata.

"You have a beautify body. A very beautiful body," spoke Ookami.

"Oh... Ookami-kun..." spoke Hinata, as she was blushing bright red.

"We should get dressed now," spoke Ookami.

Hinata nodded in agreement.

In the room Deidara and Yugito were in, the two blonds stared at each other, wondering what happened the night before.

"Well, our clothes are off..." muttered Deidara.

"How did that happen?" asked Yugito.

"I don't remember much... I know I was in a good mood... and that Hyuga guy and I were acting... oddly, hm... beyond that, though... oh, Itachi knocked us out, hm," replied Deidara.

"I think I remember parts of that, but that still doesn't address the issue I brought up," spoke Yugito.

"Oh, well, sometime in the middle of the night, we snapped out of it, hm. I think you were still a little drunk. You get rather clingy when drunk, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Eh?" asked Yugito.

"We had some fun. You can figure out the rest, right?" asked Deidara.

"I thought that was a dream!!" shouted Yugito.

"Nope, it wasn't, hm," replied Deidara.

"Oh... I didn't know I could do that..." spoke Yugito.

"I didn't you could do that either," replied Deidara.

"Heh heh... uh... I need to work off this hangover. Let's get dressed and join the others," spoke Yugito.

Deidara nodded.

In Kiyomi's room, both Kiyomi and Itachi were smiling. Itachi had a rather unpleasant looking wound on his head.

"Still rough as always," spoke Itachi.

"That's how I like to be," replied Kiyomi.

"That's how I like you to be," spoke Itachi, as he rolled over to kiss Kiyomi on the lips.

"I missed you over the past few years. That one on your head was punishment. The others are from my passion for you," replied Kiyomi.

"I wondered why you went for my head," replied Itachi.

"Come, let's get dressed," spoke Kiyomi.

"Of course. I have a mission to complete," replied Itachi.

"What happened last night..." muttered Hiashi, as he took a look around. He knew he was in his room. He stretched his arms out, and noticed there was someone beside him.

"Huh..." muttered the Hyuga head. He went wide eyed upon seeing who was beside him.

"Neji!!" shouted Hiashi.

"Huh... get away from me!!" shouted Neji, as he leaped out of the bed.

"What are you doing here!?" shouted Hiashi.

"You stormed into my room last night and dragged me in here, saying some woman's name over and over again! You must have thought I was her, from how you kept trying to take my clothes off! I finally knocked you out with a juuken strike," explained Neji.

"Well, that's all fine and good, but why didn't you leave?" asked Hiashi.

"You hit me back and left me unable to walk!!" shouted Neji.

"Oh..." muttered Hiashi, "But why did I confuse you for a girl?"

"Probably due to Tenten screaming at you. My long hair probably didn't help," replied Neji.

There was a moment of silence between the Hyuga men.

"This doesn't leave this room," spoke both men in unison. The two nodded and went to join the others.

"Oh, Tenten, I didn't know you were here," spoke Hinata.

"I was with Neji... until... oh, there you are, Neji," spoke Tenten.

"Next time, your house. I would rather deal with your father's paranoia induced sword throwing than _that_," spoke Neji.

"Eh? What happened?" asked Hinata.

"I don't want to talk about it... ever..." spoke Neji.

"Um... did... uh... you know?" asked Tenten.

"No, it didn't, thank goodness," replied Neji.

"Okay, good enough for me. Come on, we can't leave Lee at the training grounds for too long. He'll yell at us about being unyouthful for showing up late, or something," spoke Tenten.

"Indeed. Good day, Hinata-sama," spoke Neji, as he and Tenten left.

"I don't think we want to know, Hinata-chan," spoke Ookami.

Hinata nodded in agreement. At the point, a bleeding Itachi entered the room.

"Ohio... what the Hell, Itachi," spoke Ookami.

"You like what you like, I like what I like. Drop it there, or you'll get to 'enjoy' it for seventy-two hours, without any of the pleasure," replied Itachi.

"I would do as he says," spoke Hinata.

Ookami nodded.

The others entered one by one. Ookami thought it best not to bring up what anyone else was doing the night before, lest he have to put up with genjutsu nightmares and juuken assaults. Breakfast took place without hassle. After all they finished their meal, the Akatsuki members and Hinata left to find Naruto.

They didn't take long to find Naruto. He was sailing through the air for some unknown reason. He landed near the group looking for him.

"So, Naruto, how did we piss off Sakura this time?" asked Ookami.

Naruto twitched in response.

"We should just take him, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Yeah, but we should at least tell his team members," replied Ookami.

"You two can carry him. He's your target," spoke Itachi.

"Well, since I took responsibility, I'll carry him. Let's find his team, tell them what's going on, and get out of here. I really want to get this done and over with, so I can spend some more time with Hinata-chan," spoke Ookami.

Hinata smiled in response. Ookami threw Naruto over his shoulder. Hinata led the group the the training grounds Naruto's team used. The pair arrived to see Sasuke and Sakura talking about something.

"Okay, so, which one of you launched this one into the air?" asked Ookami.

"Hm? Akatsuki? Here to take the dobe?" asked Sasuke.

"Yeah, we promise to give him right back, hm," replied Deidara.

"Keep him," spoke Sakura, while gritting her teeth.

"What did he do this time?" asked Ookami.

Sakura went silent, while Sasuke looked at the ground.

"Eh? Something you can't talk about?" asked Ookami.

"I'm pregnant... the baka was accusing Sasuke of being a 'bum,' so I launched him," replied Sakura.

"You waste no time do you, otouto," spoke Itachi.

"I don't. I'm still trying to find someone else to..." Sasuke suddenly stopped speaking.

"Hah! I did it! I finally got him!" shouted Sasuke.

The members of Akatsuki could only stare at the scene.

"Oh, uh... I possessed his body. It's the only way to really beat him... you! The blond with... hair that kind of looks like mine... knock me out," spoke Sasuke's body.

"Hit a Uchiha? Okay!" shouted Deidara with a big grin. He pulled back his fist, and knocked Sasuke on the head. He seemed to snap out of whatever daze he was in moments before Deidara's fist arrived at Sasuke's face.

"Got you this time!" shouted a voice.

Sasuke was a little slow to get up. Sakura was about to punch Deidara, but Sasuke held her back.

"She did what she needed to. I shouldn't have been distracted at the sight of my aniki," spoke Sasuke.

"So, when is the date?" asked a blond kunoichi, as she approached the group. She did have her hair covering an eye, like Deidara, and had her hair in a ponytail.

"Deidara... is she a relative of yours, or did you have a kid you forgot to tell me about?" asked Ookami.

"I'm not that old, hm. I would have been a toddler when she was born," spoke Deidara.

"Right... but the resemblance is kind of hard to ignore," replied Ookami.

"Are all members of Akatsuki this weird?" asked the kunoichi.

Itachi and Yugito silently nodded.

"Well, seems I helped Sasuke get another girl. Looks like I'm a good luck charm for the boy," spoke Ookami.

"It would seem so," spoke Sasuke, while contemplating what Ookami had just said.

"Hey, you didn't answer me, Sasuke-kun," spoke the kunoichi.

"Huh? Oh, right. Well, I suppose the best way to do this would be to get it over with tonight... but... I do have a pregnant girlfriend, I can't just leave her suddenly. This weekend. It will be a double date. Is this acceptable, Ino?" asked Sasuke.

"Very well," replied Ino.

"That's why I love my Sasuke-kun!" shouted Sakura, while holding Sasuke in a hug.

"You should probably get used to that. Pregnant women have terrible mood swings," spoke Itachi.

"Thanks for the advice..." muttered Sasuke.

"To get to the point. We came to take the boy. Tell those who need to know not to expect to see him for approximately six days," spoke Itachi.

"That's all, eh? Fine. Let us know when you have another social gathering. I've been in need of a challenge, the only losses I've had are against lucky kunoichi," replied Sasuke.

"We can arrange that," spoke Itachi.

"I guess we should make with the transportation, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Yeah, I suppose. Oh, thanks for knocking the brat out. I was going to implode his guts to shut him up if you didn't," spoke Ookami.

"Uh... you're welcome..." muttered Sakura.

Deidara and Ookami made a pair of birds, and took off for their destination. At that point, several ANBU leaped out of the surrounding bushes.

"Where were you?" asked Sasuke.

"Observing. We were told to monitor them closely for any unusual actions," replied an ANBU.

"Why?" asked Sakura.

"Jiraiya-sama has gone missing. We believe Akatsuki to be responsible," replied a second ANBU.

"What!?" shouted Sakura.

"They took down a Sannin? They deserve a little more credit than I gave them," spoke Sasuke.

"Do you know where they would have taken him?" asked an ANBU.

"I do not. Given how their Leader is, he's either dead, or their Leader is about to contact us," replied Sasuke.

"It best to be the latter," replied the ANBU, as the group of masked-nin disappeared.

"Always stirring up something, aren't they..." muttered Sasuke.

So, only a half a day, then six days of fun, huh? Sounds like you guys had quite the time getting the hachibi jinchuuriki," spoke Ookami.

"We did, but it's over with now. Zetsu has him. They're all probably waiting for us to bring the blond in so we can start the sealing, hm," replied Deidara.

"I'll be glad when that's done. The idea of having to sit still for six days doesn't really appeal to me all that much," spoke Ookami.

"None of us are amused by the idea, but it's necessary," spoke Itachi.

"I suppose," spoke Ookami.

The group continued on their way to Amegakure. Itachi and the girls made sure Naruto remained sedated, knowing full well if he were to wake, he would more than likely anger the "drivers." After roughly half a day, the group arrived in Amegakure.

"Uh... finally home. I swear, if we didn't have to perform the damn sealing ritual, I would already be asleep," spoke Ookami.

"You sure are complaining a lot, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Huh? I guess I should knock if off," replied Ookami.

"Good, I'm starting to get a little tired of it," spoke Itachi.

The group opened the door to the balcony, waiting to be greeted by Pein. To their surprise, there was no one there to greet them.

"Hm? There's no one here? They all go off somewhere at a time like this?" spoke Ookami.

"This is rather unusual," spoke Itachi.

"Oh, there you are," spoke Zetsu, as he appeared before the group.

"Where is everyone, hm?" asked Deidara.

"In the prison. We've captured an intruder," replied Zetsu.

"An intruder... he wouldn't..." muttered Deidara.

"Don't tell me it's..." muttered Yugito.

"I'm not surprised..." muttered Itachi.

"You guys know something?" asked Hinata.

"Jiraiya of the Sannin?" asked Yugito.

"Hai," replied Zetsu.

"Baka!!" shouted Yugito.

"Well, I guess we should see how he's doing," spoke Deidara.

"Can we give you the blond?" asked Ookami.

"I'll hold onto him. I'll place him in the prison, next to Orochimaru," replied Zetsu.

"Works for me, help yourself," spoke Ookami, as he handed Naruto over to the plant-nin.

"Be careful with him," spoke Hinata.

"I wouldn't harm a jinchuuriki," spoke Zetsu's white side.

"He doesn't look too tasty, anyway," spoke Zetsu's black side. The plant-nin disappeared with Naruto, leaving the group of Akatsuki members to make their way for the prison. They found the group had Jiraiya in the prison's infirmary. Kakuzu was sewing Jiraiya's arm back on.

"What happened to him?" asked Yugito.

"He picked a fight with Leader-sama," spoke Kisame.

"Damn... he ripped his arm out... how ironic," spoke Ookami.

"Care to join him?" asked Pein.

"Nah, I'm good," replied Ookami.

"He's not in the best of moods right now," spoke Konan.

"Why? What happened?" asked Ookami.

"His animal path was defeated and captured. Konoha is likely picking it apart as we speak," replied Konan.

"The bastards have brass balls to piss us off like that, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I suppose. This could be bad, though. Starting a conflict with us after we've captured the last jinchuuriki," spoke Ookami.

"Relax, we'll return him, in exchange for my animal path. All should be well," spoke Pein.

"Is he alright?" asked Itachi.

"He's unconscious. He nearly drowned," replied Pein.

"I see. We warned him, upon seeing him heading for Ame no Kuni, to avoid our village. It's unfortunate he chose not to listen. He may have been killed," spoke Itachi.

"He wasn't, though. Kakuzu, you finish here. I need to speak with the Hokage. Itachi, Deidara, you are with me, since you claim to have seen him before entering the country," spoke Pein.

The two Akatsuki nodded, and joined up with Pein in his office. Pein and the others prepared to make contact with the Hokage.

In Konoha, Fukasaku had just returned to tell Tsunade of what had taken place.

"He was killed?" asked Tsunade.

"It would seem so. He left me with that body, and this code on my back," replied Fukasaku.

"And they just took Naruto... we'll have to send a force to Amegakure. We can't allow these kinds of actions," spoke Tsunade.

"I would advise against it," spoke Pein, as his astral form appeared before Tsunade, between the images of Deidara and Itachi.

"You killed Jiraiya, and expect to get away with it!?" shouted Tsunade.

"Jiraiya is alive. We are healing him right now," replied Pein.

"How should I know to believe you, _Pein_?" spoke Tsunade.

"I remember you, toad, from that battle. You were on Jiraiya-sama's back. You told her some things, didn't you?" asked Pein.

Fukasaku said nothing in return.

"It matters not. You may know some things, but it ends there. My associates warned Jiraiya to avoid Ame no Kuni. He entered when he was advised not to do so. As a member of this village, I acted as anyone would should a foreign shinobi enter without permission," explained Pein.

Tsunade went silent.

"It is true. We encountered him in our travels. He made the mistake, not us. We knew what could happen if he were to cause trouble. It is fortunate he survived," spoke Itachi.

"Very well," spoke Tsunade, "We will hold off on taking aggressive action against Amegakure, as long as you return Jiraiya within the next three days."

"I offer a counter proposal. We will return Jiraiya in exchange for the body you recovered," spoke Pein.

"Fine, I accept," spoke Tsunade.

"Wait, there is one more thing," spoke another image that appeared before Tsunade.

"What is it?" asked Tsunade.

"We are missing two of our shinobi. They are to be returned to us, as well," spoke the fourth member.

"They took a prisoner? Good work, Konan. We will need them as well," spoke Pein.

Tsunade gritted her teeth. She knew she couldn't win. The only information she could gain was from the message Jiraiya left on Fukasaku. If Jiraiya was returned, they would still be able to gain some information on Pein.

"Very well, I will return the prisoners, and the body, in exchange for Jiraiya," replied Tsunade.

"Good. I'm glad you are willing to cooperate. I would not wish to start another conflict with Konoha. We will return Jiraiya-sama as soon as possible. Have the prisoners ready," spoke Pein, as he disappeared.

"Damn him!!" shouted Tsunade.

"At least Jiraiya-chan is alive," replied Fukasaku.

"True, there is that," spoke Tsunade, as she calmed down, and retook her seat.

In Ame, Pein, Itachi, and Deidara opened their eyes to see Konan in the room with them.

"How did you know about the prisoners?" asked Pein.

"Jiraiya informed me of them. He seemed rather forthcoming with the information. He also told me Konoha has only one. He performed a jutsu on another. He plans to reverse the effects on the man he did this to," replied Konan.

"Good. We should talk with sensei. You two, join the others, and prepare for the sealing ritual," spoke Pein.

Itachi and Deidara nodded, and walked off. Pein and Konan headed for the room Jiraiya was in.

"I'm finished here. He'll be alright, as long as he doesn't move that arm around too much," spoke Kakuzu.

"Good, you may leave now. Prepare for the sealing ritual with the others," spoke Pein. Kakuzu nodded, and left the room.

"Sensei," spoke Pein, "You did something rather foolish."

"I suppose so, but I had to know. I'm sure you know full well the value of information in the shinobi world," replied Jiraiya.

"Information I wished to remain here. I would rather Konoha knew nothing of what is taking place here," spoke Pein.

"Or how to deal with you? We can't take a chance on how long you plan on being our 'friend,'" replied Jiraiya.

"I told you before, I am a god of peace. I plan to bring peace to this world," spoke Pein.

"With that weapon of yours? Your peace is a joke," replied Jiraiya.

"If you have a better solution, sensei, then please inform us," spoke Konan.

Jiraiya chose to remain silent.

"I'm sure you are aware of what needs to be changed in order for there to be peace in this world, right?" asked Pein.

"The shinobi system. I'm aware of the flaws in it, but it's what we've had for generations," replied Jiraiya.

"The system needs to be changed. I'm the one with the means; I intend to use them," replied Pein.

"This is our dream, sensei. One we wish Yahiko could have lived to see," spoke Konan.

"I'm sure he would approve of our actions. Now, we need to move ahead with our plans. I plan on allowing you to live. You will be returned to Konoha. We have business to attend to. Zetsu will be escorting you out of here," spoke Pein.

"Wait, there is one more thing I wanted to ask you, _Nagato_," spoke Jiraiya.

"And that is?" replied Pein.

"Where is your _real_ body?" asked Jiraiya.

"You wish to see the real me, do you? Fine, I'll begrudge you this, but tell no one what you know. I can't keep you here to prevent your sharing of knowledge, but know this: we can level Konoha, and we don't need to the bijuu to do so," replied Pein, as he appeared to pass out. Konan held his body. Within moments, Nagato appeared.

"Satisfied, sensei?" asked Nagato.

"You haven't changed much," spoke Jiraiya.

"I've changed more than it would seem. My body is under constant strain from using the Pein Rikudou. If it weren't from the rejuvenation jutsu I learned from studying Orochimaru's jutsu, I would likely be a shriveled up old man right now. That said, I'm still as powerful as I was before. When not using the paths, I have the strength of three kages. Keep that in mind, should you ever decide to challenge us," explained Nagato.

"I'll keep that in mind," replied Jiraiya.

"Good. Now then..." spoke Nagato as he disappeared.

"Zetsu," spoke Pein.

The plant-nin appeared, as if on cue.

"Escort Jiraiya out of Ame. Retrieve the body and prisoners," ordered Pein.

"Understood," spoke Zetsu.

"I have to go with him?" asked Jiraiya.

"Were you expecting someone else?" asked Pein.

"I wouldn't have minded going back with her," spoke Jiraiya, while looking at Konan.

"My _wife_?" asked Pein.

"Uh... so, how fast does plant man go?" asked Jiraiya.

"That's what I thought. Fast enough for you. Now, leave," spoke Pein, as he and Konan left.

"It's fortunate for you that you don't appear all that tasty," spoke Zetsu's black side.

"It would be best if you kept your insults to a minimum around me," cautioned Zetsu's white side.

"Let's just go..." muttered Jiraiya.

Pein arrived in the sealing chamber. He found the other members there waiting for him.

"We have to extract the kyuubi last. We'll begin with the hachibi, who is located in one of our bases along the border. Once he is sealed, I will summon the statue here to extract the kyuubi. This process will take about six days and six nights. Now, we shall begin," spoke Pein.

Pein summoned the sealing statues to the base where Kirabi was taken, and performed the extraction on him. Pein told Yugito Zetsu would retrieve Kirabi and seal his body until they were able to revive him.

Zetsu, being able to perform the sealing with one half of his personality, while operating his body with the other, took Jiraiya to a place just outside of Konoha. He was met by a squad of ANBU.

"Oh, I see they sent the welcoming party. Good to see you guys missed me so much," spoke Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya-sama, are you okay?" asked one of the ANBU.

"Oh, my arm is bothering the Hell out of me, but I'll manage. Hanzo was worse than that guy. Now then, I think I need to relax in some hot springs. I could use some time away from the shinobi world," spoke Jiraiya.

"_That's him..."_ thought many of the ANBU present.

"Do you have the prisoner and the body?" asked Zetsu.

"The man you seek is here," spoke another ANBU, while pushing Yudachi forward.

"Oh man, am I glad to see one of you guys, though, I was expecting Angel," spoke Yudachi.

"Angel is busy at the moment, and I can travel much faster," explained Zetsu.

"I see. Well, at least I won't have to worry about Ibiki the Torturer anymore," replied Yudachi.

"The body is in this scroll," spoke an ANBU, while tossing a scroll to Zetsu.

"Your cooperation is appreciated," spoke Zetsu, as he disappeared.

"Are they all freaks?" asked an ANBU.

"For the most part," replied Jiraiya.

"At least you are safe," spoke an ANBU.

"You are needed in the Hokage tower," spoke another ANBU.

"Alright, alright, let's go," spoke Jiraiya.

The three days it took to seal Kirabi went by without incident. Zetsu wasted no time in sealing the body with a special hunter-nin seal, in order to keep Kirabi's body well preserved. Pein summoned the statue to their base in Ame, and had Zetsu place Naruto in the sealing chamber.

"This is the last one. After this, our primary objective will be complete, and our goals will at last be within our reach. Let us begin," spoke Pein.

The first day of the sealing went by smoothly. It appeared as though Akatsuki would finally have their victory. However, midway through the sealing, it appeared as though there was some kind of barrier that prevented the kyuubi's chakra from leaving Naruto.

"What is this?" spoke Pein.

"This has never happened before," spoke Konan.

"It must be some kind of special seal the Yondaime Hokage put in place to prevent the kyuubi from being extracted. It will likely take additional time to break," spoke Itachi.

"It seems this seal was better made than any of the others," spoke Kisame.

"Focus on breaking the seal, this will require all our effort," spoke Pein.

Akatsuki continued to force their way past the seal. By the end of the second day, they appeared to be succeeding.

"The chakra is emerging again," spoke Ookami.

"This chakra is different. It doesn't appear to be that of the kyuubi," spoke Pein.

The new chakra emerging fell out of the chakra stream, and took form beside Naruto. At that point, the kyuubi's chakra entered the stream again, the seal appearing to have broken.

"What the Hell!? Is that a person, hm!?" shouted Deidara.

"The Yondaime Hokage?" asked Itachi.

"Zetsu, see to it that he does not interfere. Everyone else, continue with the ritual.

Zetsu took the body of Namikaze Minato to the Akatsuki prison, and set him there until the completion of the sealing ritual. Due to the seal the former kage had in place, the ritual took an extra day. However, they finally finished, watching as Naruto's body hit the ground.

"What a pain in the ass. Glad we don't have to do this again," spoke Hidan.

"For once I agree with him. This was a rather bothersome process," spoke Kakuzu.

"Indeed. At last, our goals will be fulfilled," spoke Pein.

"First thing's first, we revive these guys, before their villages send a raiding party. Then we get some sleep," spoke Ookami.

"Who made you leader?" asked Pein.

"No one," replied Ookami.

"Wrong answer..." muttered Deidara.

"I would be tearing you apart right now if I weren't in a good mood. He is right, though. We should revive the jinchuuriki. Let's start with this one," spoke Pein.

The Akatsuki gathered around Naruto's body, along with Hinata, Tobi, and Yugito. The young blond was back in minutes. Zetsu brought Kirabi's body, and did the same.

"What the Hell is going on?" asked Naruto.

"We extracted the fox," spoke Ookami.

"Eh?" asked Naruto, as he paused a moment.

"Hey! The fur ball is finally gone! Thank you!!" shouted Naruto, as he went and hugged Pein.

"Uh oh..." muttered most of the members.

"Let go," spoke Pein, "Now!"

Naruto backed away, allowing the other members to breath a sigh of relief.

"Lucky brat," spoke Hidan.

"If it makes you feel better, friend, I won't touch you in the end," spoke Kirabi.

"And you won't speak like that, either," spoke Pein.

"What is it with you guys? My rapping shows that I am wise," replied Kirabi.

"Hachi didn't think so. Neither did Ni. And I find it, at best, mildly amusing. You should get going. Your brother is going to throw a fit if you don't return in the near future," spoke Yugito.

"Yeah, I suppose I should go back, but only to let him know I'm okay," replied Kirabi, "Just one thing, though. Where am I?"

"That is not of your concern. I will return you to Kumo," spoke Zetsu.

"A walking plant, this, I can't," replied Kirabi.

"Rhyming..." muttered Zetsu's white side.

"He looks much more tasty than the blond or old man," spoke Zetsu's black side.

"Don't eat him, just make sure he gets to where he needs to be," spoke Pein.

"Very well," spoke Zetsu.

Zetsu took Kirabi, and left, leaving the other members to sort things out.

"I'll allow you all some time to rest. We will initiate the final phase of our plan starting tomorrow," spoke Pein.

The others nodded, and headed off to their sleeping quarters. The base was quiet over night for the first time since the group had been assembled. The next morning, Mikoto prepared the group a grand meal, having missed them over the week they had been performing the sealing. After they finished their meal, Pein told everyone to wait in his office while he and Konan went to deal with Minato. Tobi decided he _had_ to tag along. They found the man resting peacefully in his cell, while Orcohimaru was glaring at the man with intense hatred.

"Know him?" asked Tobi.

"I despise that man. He took the position I coveted, the position I did more to earn than he ever did," replied Orochimaru.

"Tobi thinks we should talk to him elsewhere."

"Agreed, let's go," spoke Pein, as he took Minato out of his cell. Minato continued to sleep the entire time. Pein took Minato to his torture room, at the end of the prison block, and sealed the door.

"He's still sleeping?" spoke Tobi, changing into Madara's personality.

"It would seem so. Let's wake him," spoke Pein, as he pulled out one of his chakra blades. To his amusement, Minato stopped the weapon from hitting him with his bare hands.

"Sorry, just didn't feel like dealing with the snake. First time sixteen years I get to move about freely. Didn't feel like dealing with him," spoke Minato.

"You seem rather comfortable given the situation," spoke Pein.

"Especially seeing as the man you defeated long ago is right before you," spoke Madara.

"Oh? What's with the mask. I don't think you had that before," spoke Minato.

"All because of you!!" shouted Madara, as he removed the mask to show what he meant.

"That looks bad, now, doesn't it. I guess I must have sealed it. You should get that checked out before it becomes infected," spoke Minato.

"Why you!!" shouted Madara.

"Enough. Hold your grudge elsewhere. For the moment, he is a shinobi of Konoha. We can't kill him without risking war with them. Even with all the bijuu, starting a conflict would not be to our advantage," spoke Pein.

"But they already think I'm dead," spoke Minato.

"Well, there you have it. Now, die!!" shouted Madara, as he was seconds from slamming a kunai into Minato's skull. Pein was able to hold him back.

"I said that was enough!" shouted Pein.

Madara fell back.

"You take orders from me, not the other way around. Do your best to remember that. I'll let this incident slide for now," spoke Madara.

"So, you going to ship me back, or what?" asked Minato.

"You're not going to try and stop us?" asked Konan.

"Wouldn't do much good. I'm just one person. It's not like you're a group of Iwa fodder-nin. I would much rather live, and get to see everyone at home again. I was getting tired of having to keep an eye on that fox, anyway... well, I suppose the one with an 'eye on the fox' is this one," spoke Minato, while pointing at Madara.

"I really desire to kill you, but it's of ill consequence now. You best to leave before we change our minds," spoke Madara.

"And miss out on the fun? Fine, fair enough," spoke Minato, "Oh, do you mind if I take my _son_ with me?"

"So, he is your son. Thought as much. That explains why I wanted to kill him so badly upon first seeing him," spoke Madara.

"Fine, take him and go," spoke Pein.

Pein and the others led Minato out of the prison block to where Naruto was waiting in the main living quarters. The young blond was eating like he had never eaten before, while Hinata and Yugito were keeping an eye on the boy.

"Hey kiddo, let's get you home," spoke Minato.

"Eh? Yondaime-sama!?" shouted Naruto.

"I have a lot to tell you about, son," spoke Minato, with a huge grin on his face.

"Son?" asked Naruto.

"You never allowed the child to know who his father was?" asked Pein.

"That's rather cruel, don't you think?" spoke Konan.

"I had to. The boy wasn't ready to face the wrath of Iwa. They would have targeted him, had they known. I had to keep it a secret," explained Minato.

"Wait... you're my father?" asked Naruto.

"Hai," replied Minato.

"Naruto appeared to grin at first, before sending the former Hokage spiraling down the hallway.

"Why did you seal the fox in me!?" shouted Naruto.

"I don't have time for this. You two keep those two under control. We have business to attend to," spoke Pein.

"Naruto-kun..." muttered Hinata.

"I'll keep them from killing each other, don't you worry," spoke Yugito, "Hey, knock it off, brat!"

"Naruto-kun! Don't do a Rasengan in here!!" shouted Hinata.

Pein and Konan left the group to resolve their problem. The members of Akatsuki were waiting in Pein's office.

"So, now that we have the bijuu, what are we going to do?" asked Kisame.

"Yeah, what about that take over the world bull shit you told us about before," spoke Hidan.

"Take over the world?" asked Ookami.

"Yeah, he said we were going to hold a monopoly on war, or some shit like that, and that we were going to crush the hidden villages in the process," replied Hidan.

"I lied," spoke Pein.

"What!?" shouted many of the members in the room.

"We're going to make a weapon, and use it to forever change the shinobi system. Anyone wish to object? Bear in mind that I could easily crush you all, should you decide to oppose me on this," spoke Pein.

"Fuck you," spoke Tobi.

"Eh?" spoke most of the members in the room.

"Did he just say that, hm?" asked Deidara.

"For real?" spoke Kisame.

"What, you have a hearing problem, I just told Pein to fuck off," spoke Tobi, in Madara's voice.

"What has gotten into you?" asked Kisame.

"What has gotten into me? Okay, I'll bite, here, shark boy, look at this, and tell me if it doesn't remind you of something," spoke Madara, as he removed his mask.

"Madara-san!?" shouted Kisame.

"What the fuck!? Who the Hell is Madara!?" shouted Hidan.

"Uchiha Madara, co-founder of Konohagakure no Sato, founder of the modern Uchiha Clan, Sandaime Mizukage of Kirigakure no Sato, and founder of Akatsuki," explained Itachi.

"Arigatou, Itachi. Any questions?" asked Madara.

"Wait, so you're our leader, hm? Fucking Tobi, I mean Madara, I mean, what the hell?" spoke Deidara.

"Seriously, you did nothing but annoy the fuck out of us, and yet you're this man who's older than dirt itself, claiming to be our leader?" asked Hidan.

"Older than dirt? I'll admit, I look like shit, but..." spoke Madara, as he appeared behind Hidan, and swiftly decapitated him.

"I'm still quite strong. Kakuzu, I know you're just itching to sew his head back on, but let him stay like that for a little while," spoke Madara.

"Fine by me," replied Kakuzu, as Hidan's body made a thud, falling on top of his head.

"Fuck you all!!" shouted Hidan.

"Now then, I'll tell you what we're going to be using the bijuu for. First off, I'm rejuvenating myself. That damned Yondaime Hokage made me look like this. Once I'm finished, I'll manufacture the weapon, and direct its use," spoke Madara.

"You will do what?" asked Pein.

"Look, I made you leader in place of me until we could gather the bijuu. You knew that. Get over it. I know you had your own ideas. Frankly, after all these years, I really don't care anymore. You can do what you want, I just want my body back," spoke Madara.

"Fine, do as you wish," replied Pein.

"Good, now then, let's go to the sealing chamber. Kakuzu, stitch up big mouth. If he makes a peep, stitch his mouth shut," ordered Madara.

"Fine," replied Kakuzu.

Kakuzu repaired Hidan, observing to see if Hidan would say anything. Knowing full well that Kakuzu would seal his mouth, he opted to keep his words to himself. After Hidan's head was in place, the members of Akatsuki entered the sealing chamber. Pein summoned the sealing the statue, knowing that's what Madara wanted.

"Good, now, we're going to trade rings. I'll need the controller for the next part," spoke Madara, as he took off his ring.

"Fine," replied Pein.

"Alright, now then, Ninpou: Bijuu Wakagaeri _(Ninja Art: Tailed-Beast Rejuvenation)_!" shouted Madara.

The sealing statue opened up as it did for the extraction. Instead of reaching out to grab a jinchuuriki, a chakra wave hit Madara. The other members looked away as Madara was enveloped in a bright light. As the light faded, Madara appeared as he did at the time of Konoha's founding.

"Ah, so my eye was tied to the kyuubi. How convenient. Now then, seeing as I had experience in using the bijuu, I had worked out that weapon of yours for you," spoke Madara.

"Very well," replied Pein.

"What are we going to do with this weapon, Madara-san?" asked Kisame.

"I've got an idea," spoke Ookami, with a rather twisted grin on his face.

"Oh? And that would be?" asked Madara.

Ookami told of what he wished to use the weapon for. Pein could only grit his teeth, knowing his plans were slowly crumbling. Konan could only frown.

"It might have the same effect," spoke Konan.

"I suppose..." muttered Pein, while sounding irritated.

"That does sound like fun, but I have a better idea," spoke Madara.

"Eh?" spoke most of the members.

In Konoha, Tsunade had finished off an entire bottle of sake. Seeing the supposedly deceased Yondaime was a bit much. Having to keep Naruto from tearing his father to shreds was what sent her over the edge.

"Maybe some heavy counseling?" offered Shizune.

"Shut... up..." spoke Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sama!!" shouted an ANBU, as she came storming into Tsunade's office.

"What is it?" asked Tsunade.

"All of the members of Akatsuki have appeared on the roof of this building!!" shouted the ANBU.

"What!?" shouted Tsunade, as she ran out of her office. Tsunade didn't know just what kind of surprise she was in for.

"Impossible!!" shouted Tsunade, upon seeing Madara.

"Oh, Tsunade? The last time I saw you, you were a toddler. I'm surprised you recognize me," spoke Madara.

"The battle you had with my grandfather, the Shodai, left quite an impression," replied Tsunade.

"Indeed. Now, if you excuse me, I have something I must do," spoke Madara.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" shouted Tsunade, only to be restrained by five bodies of the Pein Rikudou.

"I would stop, if I were you. He's not here to kill anyone. Consider yourself lucky, since he could very easily wipe Konoha off of the planet, if he so chose," spoke Pein.

Tsunade gritted her teeth. Some ANBU tried to help, only to be repelled by Hidan and Itachi.

"Don't interfere," spoke Itachi.

"Arigatou, Itachi. Now then, attention, people of Konoha!!" shouted Madara. Those walking through the village took quick notice of what was taking place atop the Hokage tower. The shinobi population, upon recognizing the uniform of Akatsuki, began to enter into a state of panic.

"How bothersome... they frighten much too easily," spoke Itachi.

"People of Konoha, for years, you have been led to believe Senju Hashirama was the sole founder of this village! That's a lie! I helped found this village, and should have been declared it's Shodai Hokage. Since leadership was entrusted to the Senju Clan, as opposed to divided between the Uchiha Clan and Senju Clans, I am here to remind you all of the true history of this village! Kinjutsu: Bijuu Bakuha _(Forbidden Technique: Tailed-Beast Blast)_!" shouted Madara.

The bijuu appeared above Madara, and formed a chakra sphere between the group of them. They then shot a wave of chakra down into Konoha. Madara broke out into laughter. A bright flash blinded everyone, followed by a deafening explosion. As Tsunade opened her eyes, she expected to see the village destroyed. Instead, it appeared as though nothing happened.

"Nothing... happened...?" spoke Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sama!!" shouted an ANBU, while pointing at Mt. Hokage.

Tsunade turned around. Her look of fear was replaced with anger. To the left of Hashirama's face was Madara's, smiling, with a hand in the form of the two-finger peace sign below it.

"You wanted to collect the bijuu just for that!?" shouted Tsunade.

Madara continued to laugh, while the other members of Akatsuki looked down in shame.

"Hey, when you've lived as long as me, you have to learn to loosen up. I used to despise this place. Originally, I was going to level it, but I changed my mind. How kind of me, eh? Now then, see you all later. Bye, Betty-Boobs, the Hokage!" shouted Madara, as he and the other members of Akatsuki disappeared.

The ANBU present were doing their best to hold back their laughter. A nearby Naruto was cracking up.

"Betty-Boobs the Hokage!? Ha ha ha, that does fit you!" shouted Naruto.

Tsunade went silent for a moment. Silent to the point of scaring Naruto.

"Eh? Baa-chan?" asked Naruto.

The young blond got to experience first hand what Jiraiya did the first time he was almost killed. Without the kyuubi to heal him, he was in the hospital for the next several weeks. Naruto wouldn't address Tsunade as "baa-chan" for almost a year.

"Ladies and gentlemen, behold, our next target!" shouted Madara, while pointing to a large building with the symbol 水 _(water)_ on it.

"So, you guys really going to do it, huh?" spoke Nana.

"Yep!!" shouted Kisame, Madara, and Ookami in unison.

"I've been waiting for this for so long!" shouted Ookami.

"It's about time we showed Kiri what happens when you fuck with the wrong people!" shouted Kisame.

"They thought they could kick me out, just because I couldn't level Konoha. I'll show them a thing or two," spoke Madara.

"I'm glad I chose not to protect that damned Mizukage. Well, are we going to do this, or not?" asked Nana.

"Should we warn them first?" asked Madara.

"Nah, let's surprise the Hell out of them. I'll be more fun that way!" shouted Ookami.

"This is not what I signed on for..." muttered Pein.

"It's okay, I'll make you feel better tonight," spoke Konan, while winking.

"Alright then, party time! Kinjutsu: Bijuu Zenmetsu _(Forbidden Technique: Bijuu Annihilation)_!" shouted Madara.

The bijuu appeared above Madara again, forming a larger sphere of chakra than before. Those out on the streets in Kiri could see the bright chakra form. Many stood, watching, mesmerized by it. Others began to panic. The Mizukage stood up from his desk and looked out the window.

"Deidara, care to do the honors?" asked Madara.

"Hai! Geijutsu ha bakuhatsu da!" shouted Deidara, using his favorite phrase, as a stream of chakra headed straight for the Mizukage's tower.

"Shit!!" shouted the Mizukage, not having enough time to react. A bright explosion filled the air. Deidara was in awe at the beauty of the explosion.

"True art..." muttered Deidara.

"Don't have an orgasm, art boy," spoke Hidan.

Hidan received the pleasure of being blasted several feet away. By the time Hidan rejoined the group, the smoke had cleared, revealing a massive crater where the Mizukage's tower had once been.

"Fuck you, mother fucker!!" shouted Ookami.

"Rot in Hell, bastard!!" shouted Kisame.

"Up yours, jackass!!" shouted Madara.

"Are you done now?" asked Pein.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. I had my fun. That should be a good demonstration of your weapon, right? Sure, I suppose I could have erased Mizu no Kuni from existence, but I figure this will be more effective. The symbol of kage is very powerful in the hidden villages. Erasing one with such little effort should strike just as much fear and pain in the hearts of shinobi all over. Now then, I suppose I should release the bijuu. Don't really need them anymore," spoke Madara.

"Very well. I can see the villagers are in quite the panic down there. Perhaps you are right. I'll let it be for now," spoke Pein.

"Good. I thought you might see it my way. Now then, kai!!" shouted Madara. A bright flash of chakra streamed out of Madara, and took the form of the bijuu. The great beasts took a look around.

"Sasori?" asked the nanabi.

"Hai," replied Sasori.

"Ah, what a relief. I was tired of being stuffed in that statue!" shouted the nanabi, as she embraced the puppet-nin.

Sasori, who normally hated being touched by anyone, allowed a small grin to cross his features, and returned the embrace.

"Hey kid, it's about time this was done. I don't mind hopping inside your head again, but if you don't mind, there's something I've always wanted to do," spoke the rokubi.

"And that is?" asked Ookami.

The rokubi gave Ookami a crushing hug, causing the former Kiri-nin to throw his arms about.

"So this is what it feels like to hug one's child. Even if he's not mine, this is as close as I'll get for now, I suppose," spoke the rokubi.

"I think you're hurting him," spoke Hinata.

"Hm?" asked the rokubi, upon seeing the flailing Ookami.

"Oh, gomen," spoke the rokubi, as she let her adopted son go.

"Hey Kyubi-Hime!" shouted Madara, as he walked up to the kyuubi.

"Hm?" spoke Kyubi, while looking at Madara.

"So... uh... I'm really sorry about the whole betraying you and using to try and destroy Konoha only for you to end up sealed in a brat thing. So... uh... yeah... you forgive me?" asked Madara.

The kyuubi was silent as she walked up to Madara. She delivered a punch that put Tsunade's best to shame. Madara's strength kept him from flying halfway around the world.

"That's for using me!!" shouted the kyuubi.

Madara frowned, blood trickling out of his mouth from the hit. Madara received the surprise of his life when the kyuubi hugged him and kissed him on the lips.

"That's for pulling me out of that brat! 'I want to be Hokage, I want to be Hokage, dattebayo.' Over and over again! For sixteen years! That's worse than what I imagine Hell to be like, and I have a pretty damn good imagination! I ought to kill that Hokage for what _he_ did, rather than you!" shouted the kyuubi.

"So... want to be a couple again?" asked Madara.

"I'm still pissed with you, so... I'll think about it. I won't leave, anyway. And to Hell with being put back into that brat," replied the kyuubi.

"Well, that's all fine and good for you three, but what about us?" asked Kawazaki, the sanbi.

"Yeah, what are we supposed to do?" asked Shukaku.

"I'm going back to my kitten," spoke the nibi.

"I can't stand him at times, but he's still my friend. I suppose I'll go back to Kirabi," spoke the hachibi.

"My jinchuuriki was alright, I guess I can go back," spoke the yonbi.

"I would love to beat the stuffing out of Roku, but I'm with Yon, I'm going back to Iwa," spoke the gobi.

"I guess I could go back to Suna... but my kid didn't like me all that much," spoke Shukaku.

"You kept trying to possess him over and over again, what did you think was going to happen?" spoke the kyuubi.

"You have a point. I guess I'll be nicer to him... or something..." muttered Shukaku.

"You could always roam free. No need to be bound by chains, you know. Just because they want to go back to their jinchuuriki, doesn't mean you have to," spoke Kawazaki.

"Oh yeah, okay. I'm going to a bar. I need to get piss faced after all of this," replied Shukaku.

"That's better," spoke Kawazaki.

"I guess we'll be on our way. Ja ne," spoke the yonbi, as he made his way for Iwa.

"You guys aren't going to try and kill us after capturing you as we did, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Don't tempt us," spoke the gobi, as he followed after the yonbi.

"See you later, kitten. Time to go find the up and coming rap artist..." grumbled the hachibi.

"Hey, Hachi, it could be worse. I was stuck inside a babbling, loud, obnoxious brat that wouldn't give me a moments worth of peace," spoke the kyuubi.

"You have a point. Sounds like your brat was a peace of work and a half. Good day," spoke the hachibi, as he made his way for Kumo.

"So, know any good seals?" asked the rokubi of Madara.

"Hm? Why me?" asked Madara.

"Because, you're the most powerful one here," spoke the rokubi.

"_I have the eyes that founded the shinobi world, and he's the most powerful?"_ Pein thought to himself.

"That's the jackass that took Kyu, huh? Interesting," spoke the nibi.

"Yeah, yeah, what a piece of work, right? If he did that to me, he would dominate you," spoke the kyuubi, while looking at the rokubi.

"I'm not in the mood..." muttered the rokubi.

"Alright, I have a seal I could use. It's stronger than the originals. Our extraction ritual would fail. I can also add a layer to the seals to make it so you can emerge from your jinchuuriki as you please. Does this work for you?" asked Madara.

"How did you learn how to do that?" asked the rokubi.

"You have to know how a seal works in order to be able to break it," replied Madara.

"Good enough for me. Anything special we need to do?" asked the rokubi.

"Yeah, Ookami, pull off your cloak and shirt," spoke Madara.

"Okay, sure," replied Ookami, as he removed said articles of clothing.

Madara pulled out some ink, and began applying sealing patterns to Ookami's body.

"Okay, now, miss rokubi, I'll need you to do the same," spoke Madara.

"Hold on, I'm not exposing my breasts to the world so you can give me some strange tattoo!" shouted the rokubi.

"I figured as much. Look, this is how it has to be done. Don't worry, it's not like I'm getting some bizarre pleasure out of this. You don't have to expose that part of your body. Your stomach will do," replied Madara.

"Alright, fine. But if you touch me in any way I find inappropriate, I'll crush your skull!" shouted Madara.

"Fine, now then..." muttered Madara, as the rokubi opened her dress enough to expose her snow white body.

"Damn, she's fine," spoke Hidan.

Hidan found half of his skull missing five seconds after his comment.

"What the fuck!?" shouted Hidan.

"Geez... you look horrific, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I'm put you back together many times over, but seeing you with only _half_ your head is disturbing even to me," spoke Kakuzu.

"How long will that take to grow back?" asked Kisame.

"Two months... two months of looking like a fucking freak," spoke Hidan.

"You always overdo it, Roku, here..." muttered the kyuubi, as she used her chakra on Hidan. The rest of his head returned within seconds.

"Arigatou, now then, no more interruptions," spoke Madara.

Madara did his best to finish the sealing pattern before he was interrupted again. Madara stood back upon finishing the seal.

"There, now, press against each other's back," spoke Madara.

Ookami and the rokubi nodded, and the two put their backs together, while Madara began forming a chain of hand seals.

"Fuuinjutsu: Futagoryuu _(Sealing Technique: Twin Dragons)_!" shouted Madara.

The sealing pattern on the two stretched out and appeared to rip off the bodies they were placed on. The seals appeared to meet one another, and then disappeared. A pair of dragons appeared on the stomachs of both, arranged in a circle. One of the dragons appeared to be slightly larger than the other.

"It is complete. You two are now bound again. Unlike before, you are not simply locked up inside your jinchuuriki. You may act as you will; however, if Ookami dies, you will die. However, since Ookami's body is the dominant one, he will not die if you do, hence the different sizes of the dragons. I developed this seal while developing Genryuu Kyuu Fuujin with Pein. I planned on using a similar version to seal all nine of the bijuu within me, but, as I said before, I really don't feel like it anymore. I have my body back, so I suppose I'm even with the world. Now then, would you two like me to perform the seal for you?" asked Madara, while looking at Yugito and the nibi.

"Yeah, sure," spoke the nibi.

Madara repeated the sequence of drawing the seals on the two. Hidan was sure to keep his mouth shut as the stomachs of the two women were exposed. Madara completed the seal, binding the two together once again.

"There, that takes care of that. Now then, any moment, and we'll likely have a slew of pissed off Kiri-nin rushing us. I'll take care of them. You all best to stay out of this," spoke Madara.

The other members of Akatsuki nodded. After the shinobi of Kiri were able to regroup, they quickly made their way to the location of the Akatsuki members.

"Oh, would you look at that. Took you all long enough," spoke Madara.

The Kiri-nin before Madara pulled out their weapons, and stared straight at Madara, anger blazing. A couple of the shinobi at the front of the group recognized who they were looking at.

"Sandaime-sama?" asked a Kiri-nin.

Madara nodded.

"I told you, I would one day return, with my full power restored. Did you think me a liar? Now then, what's it going to be?" asked Madara.

"Hail Sandaime-sama!" shouted the majority of the Kiri-nin.

"What, you all just going to give your loyalty to him?" shouted a Kiri-nin holding a rather large sword.

"One of the seven?" asked Madara.

"Must be," spoke Kisame.

"Mizukage-sama, please?" asked Ookami.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, sure, have at it, you two," replied Madara.

"Wait, Kisame," spoke Itachi.

"Yeah?" asked Kisame.

"Time limit," replied Itachi.

"Alright, sure," spoke Kisame.

"Time limit?" asked Ookami.

"Just kill them as fast as you can," replied Kisame.

"Sure thing, I've been saving up some bombs just in case," spoke Ookami, as the two former Kiri-nin rushed to engage the current seven swordsmen.

Itachi pulled out his special refrigeration scroll, and pulled out one of his beers.

"You're drinking?" asked Deidara.

"They have until I finish this beer, now, don't interrupt me, or you'll end up giving them more time," replied Itachi, as he took his first sip.

Everyone in the group stared at the Uchiha as he started to drink his beer.

"You and Kisame do that often, hm?" asked Deidara.

"We take turns, but yes, quite often. It makes things more interesting," replied Itachi, as he took another sip.

Within moments, screams could be heard coming from the targets of Kisame and Ookami. Some of them were thrown into the air by the swing of Kisame's sword. Some of the others were blasted into the sky.

"He's making me proud," spoke Deidara, as he admired the explosions Ookami had created.

"You would say that," replied Sasori.

"They're done," spoke Itachi, as he finished off his beer.

"Just in time?" asked Kisame.

"Yeah," replied Itachi.

"I didn't think I would make it. Those guys were a little tougher than the fodder-nin we usually do that with," spoke Kisame.

"Wait, what was the time limit?" asked Ookami. He then took note of the empty bottle of beer in Itachi's hand. "Really?"

"Yes, really," spoke Itachi, "You two got lucky, this one over here kept interrupting me."

"What, I wanted to know, so I asked, hm," replied Deidara.

"Okay... whatever. So, now what?" asked Ookami.

"Well, for starters, you people, tell every other hidden village about what took place here. Be sure to go into detail about how I obliterated that damn kage tower," commanded Madara.

The Kiri-nin nodded, and headed off to perform the task. Madara looked to Pein.

"There you go, your goal is met, right? Peace through fear of the weapon that allowed the takeover of Kiri in the blink of an eye. Everyone wins," spoke Madara.

"Fine, I accept this," spoke Pein.

"Good. Now then, since I'm not really a full member anyway, I'll start leading Kiri again. I don't have anything better to do, really. You guys do as you will, just don't fuck with my village," spoke Madara.

"So, you're giving Akatsuki back to me, huh? Fine. I'll make sure your men have sufficiently scared the world into peace," replied Pein.

"Peace? Great, and just who do I sacrifice now?" asked Hidan.

"There are bound to be those who will still raise opposition. It won't be war, just the typical prick who thinks they are better than everyone else. You can have your fun with them," replied Pein.

"Seriously? Alright, I can live with that, then," spoke Hidan.

"Good, because you have no choice, either way," replied Pein.

Hidan gave the one finger salute to Pein, only to lose his finger seconds later.

"Fuck! You know, it's the small ones that hurt the most, seriously," spoke Hidan.

"Then mind your manners," replied Pein.

"I'm going to miss you guys. I might just have to drop in one day. Well, got a village to run. I'll make sure they get their message to the world done properly. Take it easy," spoke Madara.

"And if he doesn't strike fear into others, I will," spoke the kyuubi, as she joined Madara in heading into Kiri.

"So, now what?" asked Deidara.

"Hmm... party," replied Pein.

"Hell yeah!!" shouted most of the members present.

"We'll worry about the rest later. The world is in our hands, whether it knows it or not. We'll police it later, for now, it's time to celebrate," spoke Pein, as he led the Akatsuki back to Ame.

"Gave Kiri a black eye, and get a share in controlling the world? This **was** worthwhile!" shouted Ookami.

"Same for me, kid, same for me," spoke Kisame.

"I got to see the most beautiful explosion of all time, I'm happy, hm," replied Deidara.

"I have Dei-kun, so I'm glad," spoke Yugito.

"I get my family, so I'm content, I suppose," replied Itachi.

"I still get to sacrifice some weaklings, so I'll survive," spoke Hidan.

"I'm going to cash in on a couple of bounties when the party is done," spoke Kakuzu.

"If he still gets to sacrifice, I still get to eat," spoke Zetsu's black side.

"I'm going to miss Tobi, though," replied Zetsu's white side.

"I have you," spoke Sasori, while holding the hands of the nanabi.

"And I found you," replied the nanabi.

"We get to stay with our kids," spoke the rokubi and nanabi.

"We realized our dream, in a way," spoke Konan.

"I suppose. Let's head home," replied Pein.

"You think those guys are going to throw a wild party without us?" asked the kyuubi.

"No, we'll be there. It'll take them a couple of days to get there. It'll take us two seconds. Now then, let's rebuild the tower," spoke Madara.

"Yeah, sure, you build, I'll watch. You owe me, don't forget," replied the kyuubi.

"Yes dear," replied Madara, while backing away from the kyuubi.

"_This is all my fault, right? Oh well, happy days lie ahead, I suppose. Well, I better get to work,"_ thought Madara, as he pondered how he was going to rebuild a kage tower on his own.

_A/N: And there you have it, the end of Akatsuki's New Member! I had such a good time with this one that I'm planning out a sequel, so keep an eye out for it. In accordance with tradition, I'll explain the meanings of the names of Itachi's family. Kiyomi can be spelled as __白美__, where __白 __means white and __美 __means beauty _(and is commonly used as a suffix for female names)_. Akemi can be spelled as __朱美__, where __朱 __means red. Kuromi can be spelled as __黒美__, where __黒 __means black. Together, their names mean white beauty, red beauty, and black beauty. I hope everyone enjoyed my fic, don't forget to leave a review._


End file.
